Something Left
by helena-3190
Summary: In the aftermath of the shinobi war to save the world, from their own war to save Sasuke's soul, Team Seven adjusts, mends severed bonds, and strives to love. *TEMPORARY HIATUS* Almost finished with major edits and brand new content weaved throughout, plus the last two chapters. If you haven't read this yet, I'd wait. Original readers, I apologize! New content is dedicated to you.
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary**:_ In the aftermath of the shinobi war to save the world, from their own war to save Sasuke's soul, Team Seven adjusts, mends severed bonds, and strives to love. [Mostly canon, SasuSaku.]

_**A/N**: _Rated M/Ma for 18+ readers. Meant to be as close to canon as possible, with occasional timeline adjustments, plot variations, mythology additions, and new character introductions on an as-needed basis only.

Of course, I do not own or have rights to the Narutoverse, its characters, or the lyrics from Rise Against.

* * *

**Something Left**

Chapter One

"It kills me not to know this, but I've all but just forgotten

What the color of her eyes were, and her scars or how she got them"

_Lyrics of Savior, Rise Against_

* * *

It was a good thing he was bleeding to death. If Sasuke had been in any better condition, they would have sent him straight for the sealing jutsu, prison, and isolation. Instead, the reunited members of Team Seven were kept together, triaged swiftly, and given an heavily-guarded room dedicated to only themselves.

With the last ounce of chakra she had left, Sakura managed to bring both her teammates back from death's dark gates. It resulted in the three of them being unconscious. Through pure stubbornness, Kakashi defied the laws of nature and kept his exhausted, chakra-depleted body moving long enough to get his three pupils to Konoha's first entrance point. He'd never thought of himself as having a sort of paternal instinct before, but now that seemed to be the only explanation for his strength. It wasn't until the first ANBU caught sight of the motley crew and offered assistance that Kakashi finally fainted. He never did get around to saying "yes", and it would be awhile before he woke, found the ninja, and was able to say "thanks."

Almost every medical ninja from Konoha had been deployed for the war effort, and none who remained had any real affinity for leadership. When the four of them were given a specially designated room, it was less from intentional thought and more out of haphazard confusion. At least when Dr. Haruno woke, they thought, she would know what to do. In the meantime, the mediocre medical staff provided the emergency care needed for Naruto and Sasuke's severe blood loss and matching missing limbs.

Thanks to Kurama's chakra within him, it was Naruto who woke first. Though he could barely keep his eyes open and was groggy from pain medication, he kept himself propped up long enough to take in his surroundings. Those he loved most were near him; alive, safe, and seemingly peaceful. It felt like a dream. It _was _a dream - one he'd forced into reality. When he slipped back into unconsciousness, it was with a smile on his face.

Sakura hadn't been inflicted by any serious injuries, only the depletion of her chakra reserves, which were vast. She fought herself to wake up, and with great pain, adhered to the hospital staff's instructions to heal herself. It felt counter-intuitive, but as she hadn't yet seen any of the experienced healers from the battlefield return, she allowed her rational self to make the right call. If she wanted to help, she needed to help herself first.

It didn't bode well for them the first time that Sasuke woke, but half-alert as she was, Sakura tried to smooth it over. None of the staff were too keen on providing treatment for Sasuke. After all, the complimentary injured limbs between he and Naruto made it all too obvious what had transpired, and Naruto was the village hero. Sasuke was the traitor who almost killed him. After drawing the shortest straw, it was a newer, less altruistic male nurse who was given the task of changing bandages on Sasuke's stunted limb. When the Uchiha heir came to, he not only saw trembling hands over his wound, but felt the animosity of their owner.

"Don't touch me."

It mattered none that he had just been unconscious. Sasuke sounded as if he wanted to slay the nurse, and looked as if he could.

"I… I h-have to ch-"

"_Leave_."

Bound by his ego more than the Hippocratic oath, the nurse persisted. "J-just let me-"

"I said _lea_-" Sasuke's snarl was interrupted by the soft-spoken kunoichi on the other side of the room.

"I'll do it."

He whipped his head toward her quiet voice, unaware that she was laying there in the other patient bed, let alone was awake and watching.

The nurse looked between his patient and one of his superiors. "Um, are you sure Dr. Haruno? He's not…"

Well. Safe. Cooperative. She didn't know what he meant to say, but it didn't matter.

"Yes." Then she looked at the patient in question, uncertain. "Will you let me, Sasuke-kun?"

He stared at her. Recent memories, partial and disheveled, fluttered to his attention, one in which Sakura's warm, healing chakra was what halted the fatal blood loss from his arm. It took a moment of thought, but as he considered the severity of the wound, and then looked once again at his only other option, he finally conceded.

Sasuke nodded.

She looked back over to the nurse. "You can come back for the cart in a half hour. Thank you, Iko."

The nurse was more than glad to be dismissed. He quickly dropped the materials he'd been holding and scrambled away, muttering his gratitude as he left.

Sakura took a deep breath. The truth was she didn't exactly feel ready to be exiting the bed, but she focused on the movements and carefully pulled herself up. She was certain she hated the hospital gowns more than any of her patients said they did; it was bulky, awkward, and crackled as she moved. The last thing she felt like was a competent healer.

While Sasuke did not speak, he watched her, and she thought it was apparent enough what he thought. _Are you actually able to do this? _Of course, this only made her more determined. Medical ninjutsu had trained her to become a different person when healing; objective, clinical, and focused. When she went to the sink to thoroughly wash her hands, wrists, and forearms, it felt symbolic enough as she transitioned her mindset. She lifted her arms up, palms inward, and waited for them to air-dry, closing her eyes to focus the last bit of energy and chakra she could summon. Then she went to work.

In what was clearly a familiar move, she expertly maneuvered the stool with her feet, pulled it to Sasuke's side by the utility cart, and sat down.

"I need to remove your current bandages, clean your wound, ensure no infection has or will spread, and re-bandage it. They have you on sedatives and painkillers, but now that your adrenaline isn't coursing through to minimize the pain, it will probably hurt."

"Hn."

Sakura preceded as she normally would for any other patient. When it came time to make one exception, though, she did it. She should have waited until later, when her chakra reserves felt at least half restored, but she decided to put special attention to the torn-off limb.

"I'm going to try and heal the severed nerve-endings. If I do it right, and if I do it now, it will eliminate some of the phantom pain you'll experience later."

He just looked at her.

"Usually, my healing chakra feels like warm, running water," Sakura explained, not because it was Sasuke, but because that's what doctors did. "But this will feel more like pinching, and might even burn. Let me know if you need me to stop."

Sasuke thought about Kabuto's healing chakra; it was far less pleasant than anything she just described. He wasn't worried about it's lack of comfort. Though he didn't reply, Sakura knew he heard and went on as if he'd consented.

With one hand, she floated her healing chakra aura over the end of his limb, but with her other, she streamlined her chakra into only her fingertips. Brows furrowed in intense concentration, she focused on finding the damaged nerves and repairing them, one by one, as many as she could.

By the time she finished, a thin sheen of perspiration settled by her temples. When she released her healing chakra, her shoulders slumped in relief.

"That should do it," she said quietly, as if to herself.

She quickly went onto re-bandage him.

It felt surreal to Sasuke that he was missing an arm, a hand, but the mannerisms in which Sakura bandaged it without cringing almost made it seem as normal as wrapping a broken finger. When she stood up, he noticed she expected no verbal acknowledgement or gratitude. She didn't even look at him, just stretched, cracked her back, and then lithely climbed back into her own patient bed.

He looked over to the blonde who had the exact same injury as he did. An injury caused by him. _What about Naruto?_

Once again, he was too injured, too tired, and too medicated to be as cognizant of his surroundings as usual. Sakura must have been watching where his eyes wandered.

"Naruto doesn't need the same kind of medical attention. The kyuubi chakra can do what I just did, a thousand times better, not to mention faster."

It unnerved him that she was able to read his thoughts so easily. He deflected it by asking the status of his previous sensei. "Kakashi?"

It wasn't a clear question, but she understood it.

"He sustained a few serious injuries that I only healed minimally on the battlefield, but none of them are critical, and they've been tended to by the staff here. Kaka-sensei has more chakra than most jonin, but not half as much as you or I. When he's chakra-depleted like this, it takes him almost a week to fully recover."

Like when Itachi had trapped him in the nightmare genjutsu, she reflected. With the searingly painful memories of the genjutsu Sasuke had just placed on her fresh in her mind, she had a deeper understanding of that experience now.

"You should rest," Sakura said, sounding nothing like the twelve-year-old girl who squealed about her concerns for him, and only like a doctor.

She took her own advice, rearranging her blankets, turning on her side, and curling into an extra pillow. For awhile, Sasuke resisted her professional advice. There was no way he could willingly fall asleep in such a vulnerable state, in what may have technically been in his home, but felt like enemy territory. Eventually, though, the combination of sedatives, painkillers, and exhaustion got the better of him. He drifted back into a desperately needed sleep.

.

.

"That should be higher," she murmured. "Add ten milograms of midodrine to her IV drip for three hours, and then wean her off it during the next six hours, and see if it stays up on its own. If it doesn't, add the midodrine back and find me."

"Okay, Sakura-sensei. Um, what about the child who's in for migraines? It's the fourth time this month."

"Did they complete the food log?"

"Yes. It's in the chart."

"Okay, let me see it."

The nurse hoped she would have the chance to ask and promptly pulled out the clipboard with the child's records. She handed it to Sakura, who was still bedridden and looking quite like a patient herself. After a few moments of reviewing the log's records, Sakura handed it back.

"I know I told them to cut out the cheese. Tell them again to eliminate the aged cheeses. There's clearly a pattern of the migraines starting within six hours of ingesting it. Give them one more refill of sumatriptan, but remind them it's hard on the stomach, and it isn't meant for long-term use. They need to be strict with the diet."

"Okay! I'll be direct."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Are you sure you're up for it?" The nurse asked nervously.

"Sure, Mika," Sakura said without hesitation. "If I can't help on the floor, at least I can do this."

The nurse looked relieved. She quickly pulled out another chart she'd brought along. "Okay, this one's Iko's patient, an elderly man with chest pains; we ran the cardiac tests, but…"

Naruto rubbed at his eyes with his one and only good hand. In just the limited amount of time he'd been conscious, he'd already found several things inconvenient about only having one hand. As he made the extra effort to clear the goop from his sleep-ridden eyes, he looked over to Sasuke. Though the other man had his eyes closed, Naruto could tell by his rigid posture and tight breathing that he was awake.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto called over.

As he expected, the Uchiha wasn't asleep. Sasuke turned his head slightly, opening his eyes, acknowledging Naruto.

"Guess we know we're pretty much equals, eh? I knew you weren't stronger than me."

Sasuke stared at him.

"Since we both lost an arm," Naruto continued, unaffected by the statement in the slightest, "it will be a fair rematch."

Sakura clutched the chart so hard in her hands it accidentally splintered. "A _rematch _is what you're thinking about right now?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Well yeah, I mean, I've waited _years _to show the bastard I was better than him."

She rolled her eyes, but returned her attention back to the chart, finding solace in the knowledge that she knew the truth. The truth that there were so many other things that Naruto was actually waiting for, besides a sparring match, when it came to Sasuke's return. Butterflies erupted in her stomach knowing that that time was finally here; truthfully, she had slowly started to stop hoping that it would. Refusing to let her own excitement show, she finished reviewing charts with the nurse. Once the nurse left, Naruto whistled.

"I don't understand _half _of what you're talking about," he said. "When did you learn all of that, Sakura-chan?"

She lifted her brows. "What do you think I was doing while you were gone?"

Sasuke almost thought she was talking to him by mentioning someone gone, but she had been talking to Naruto, and she was looking at the blonde. _Gone where? When? _

"True," Naruto laughed.

Though it was slight, Sasuke's brows being furrowed in subtle confusion caught Naruto's attention. He was able to pick up on the unspoken question.

"After you left, I left Konoha for a few years, too, to travel and train with Master Jiraiya. To prepare for the Akatsuki attacks, and to be ready to get you back from Orichamaru before he took over your body."

Sasuke was unconcerned. "I knew I would be able to kill him before he could do that."

"Well, _we _didn't know that."

Unable to help it, Sasuke thought of how his older brother was actually the one to truly kill Orichamaru. Itachi purposefully brought Sasuke to the end of himself so that the sannin's power would come forward, and then Itachi put an end to him. More than his arm could ever hurt, thinking of Itachi's love hurt far worse.

"I still haven't really been home," Naruto said, somehow sounding both sad and elated at the same time. "When I first got back, we immediately left for the Sand Village to rescue Gaara. Then everything else with the Akatsuki happened so quickly after that."

It was quiet for a few moments. Sasuke, more inclined to talk about something else than their home, needing a distraction from his thoughts on Itachi, asked them about Gaara. "I thought Gaara was a jinchuriki."

The question was obvious enough: so, why wasn't he dead like all the others?

Naruto frowned. He knew that Lady Chiyo was special to Sakura, and instinctively, he turned to her.

Nobody answered though. Sasuke's curiosity piqued, but he didn't ask for details. He noticed how Sakura bit her lip, pensive about the thought. She placed a hand atop her stomach, as if touching something invisible on her abdomen.

"An elder from the Sand Village, Lady Chiyo, used a forbidden resurrection jutsu to sacrifice herself and bring Gaara back to life," Sakura explained. Nothing but immense respect was in her tone.

Sasuke wondered why and how this Lady Chiyo meant more to Sakura than to Naruto, who seemed friendlier with Gaara, but then Naruto smiled one of his large, overwhelming grins at Sakura. His love for her was so apparent in his watery, blue eyes.

"Lady Chiyo saved Gaara _and _you. I owe Lady Chiyo an eternal debt!"

Sasuke looked at how Sakura had both hands placed atop her stomach now, and wondered if there was the memory of a near fatal wound beneath it. It wasn't a random guess, but an educated one. He had a habit of touching old wounds; even if they were healed, sensations of pain existed like ghosts. Sakura smiled sadly and muttered some form of gratitude.

Naruto whipped his head back to Sasuke. "Sakura and Lady Chiyo killed Sasori of the Red Sand. Did you know that? They were the first ones to take out an Akatsuki member."

Sakura's cheeks went red at his random boasting about her. "It was all Lady Chiyo. She dealt the final blow; I was just able to assist her."

"I actually read that report, Sakura-chan," Naruto argued. "You kicked his ass."

Sakura released her hands from her stomach. She huffed. "And next time you leave me behind to go off alone on a suicide mission, I'll kick your ass, too."

This time, Naruto's cheeks reddened. "I-I know. Sorry, Sakura-chan."

She offered a conciliatory smile toward him, then looked over to their sensei. Though the three of them were up and talking, he still hadn't woken.

"Is he going to be alright?" Naruto asked, not for the first time.

"He's stable," Sakura promised. "He's never used his sharingan for kamui so much before, not to mention all the other injuries he sustained. It will take awhile for his body and chakra reserves to heal, but there's no reason to worry yet."

"Yet?" Naruto all but screamed.

Sakura didn't look concerned, but she was honest. "Well, he's not a Uchiha. His body wasn't meant for this."

At the mention of Uchiha, she for the first time looked over to Sasuke. He was looking at their old sensei, and though she did not have a single clue what went through his mind, she could tell that he was whirling with thoughts.

"Well he better wake up soon," Naruto said, settling back down into his mattress. "Team Seven is finally together again! We need to celebrate."

Since Sakura's eyes were still on Sasuke, she could see the slight tremor in his lips that turned into a soft frown. Oblivious, Naruto yawned and decided to go back to sleep. Sasuke, more aware of his surroundings than before, felt the pink-haired kunoichi watching him and flicked his gaze toward her. Sasuke was a rogue ninja, international criminal, and traitor to the Leaf who almost killed Naruto Uzumaki. They probably wouldn't have the chance to celebrate anytime soon. Sakura mirrored Sasuke's look of uncertainty, but she answered Naruto aloud in a deceptively positive tone.

"We will when Kaka-sensei wakes up."

His time in the hospital left Sasuke with two realizations. Naruto was exactly how he imagined he would be, and Sakura was nothing like what he'd thought she'd be. While he felt that he knew the former like the back of his hand, he realized he didn't really know the latter, at all.

.

.

.

When the Hokage and shinobi from the battlefront returned, order and structure was slowly put back into place. One of the first action items was to separate Naruto from the one who had almost killed him. With Sasuke deemed medically stable, a powerful seal to limit his chakra usage and incapacitate the sharingan was placed atop his forehead. Then he was quickly sentenced to prison with additional ANBU protection. When Naruto protested profusely, Sasuke had told him to stop. It seemed that he'd been not only expecting punitive action, but also willing to accept it.

On the fourth day of their return, Kakashi woke up. At that point, Sakura and Naruto had both been discharged from the hospital, too. But the kunoichi had only slept for half a day in her own home before returning back to the hospital to work, and Naruto had entered the recommended physical therapy wing of the hospital to help relearn basic movements and tasks without an arm. They were both quickly able to come and greet their sensei. Though Naruto continued to rant about the unfairness of Sasuke's treatment, Kakashi made no promises to him.

"He has to atone for what he's done, Naruto."

"How can you say that?" Naruto hollered. "You know what he went through. You know what this village _did._ To him, to his family! It's not his fault th-"

Kakashi had put a stern hand on his student's shoulder. "We will handle that, but it has to be handled discreetly. Sasuke will receive humane treatment until the court decides how he will be dealt with."

Standing in the corner nearby, Sakura's shoulders tightened. What did Naruto mean, what the village did to Sasuke and his clan?

Naruto was ready to explode again, but Kakashi interrupted him. "We _will_ do everything in our power to ensure he's released. You must get your head on straight so that you can help with that. You proved yourself on the battlefield with your strength as a shinobi, Naruto. Now you must prove your worth as a future Hokage in these more complicated affairs."

This finally sobered Naruto.

.

.

.

.

Sakura was summoned to the Hokage's office at the end of her first day off since everything seemed to settle at the hospital. Lady Tsunade still had her youth protection, yet she seemed older and tireder than ever before.

"You called for me, sensei?"

"They're calling you one of the new sannin, Sakura. Perhaps it's time to forfeit the 'sensei'."

Sakura's eyes lit up as she took a seat in front of her mentor. "I'm sure I have much more to learn from you, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade growled at the paperwork in front of her. "Like how to keep up with this endless nonsense?"

Sakura laughed some, but she was concerned about why she was summoned, and it showed. Tsunade took a pause from her papers and folded her hands atop the desk.

"Uchiha Sasuke has refused medical treatment in prison since he got there. This afternoon I received a note that he's had a fever and started to vomit. I think it's been going on for several days, but his symptoms have just now become obvious enough to cause concern."

Fear flashed across Sakura's visage. It wasn't blind fear; her medical training immediately presented her with several alarming reasons why he could be running a fever and having flu-like symptoms if it was in relation to his wound.

"Naruto said that when he was first brought here, he wouldn't let anyone besides you touch him," Tsunade started. "I'm granting you special permission to visit him and provide medical attention, assuming he'll accept it."

"When?" Sakura asked, knowing it was urgent.

"Now." Tsunade handed her an envelope sealed with the Hokage's office stamp. "Tenzo will take you."

"Tenzo?" Sakura asked.

The ANBU who had been standing quietly in the corner came forward. He wore an elephant mask, and when he took it off, Yamato's face was underneath.

"Tenzo is my real name, Sakura," he admitted. "I was given the name Yamato for what was supposed to be a temporary assignment to protect Naruto."

Sakura stood up. If she'd been in her usual mood, she would have commented or bantered with him, but healing Sasuke was the only thing on her mind.

"Okay. I need to get my things from the hospital first."

Tsunade picked up a bag from underneath her desk. "This should have everything you need."

Sakura took it eagerly. "Thank you, sensei."

"Go," Tsuande waved.

"We'll use a transportation jutsu," Yamato explained, taking out a scroll and lifting his hand to Sakura.

She gripped one hand onto the bag, and another onto Yamato. It wasn't until they were transported that she realized she didn't specifically say goodbye to Lady Tsunade.

Sakura couldn't have guessed at exactly where they were, but it was dark, dank, and uncomfortable. She assumed it was underground, beneath additional barriers, in a place you'd least expect it.

Two ANBU guards were there to greet them.

Yamato - Tenzo - lifted his hand to her envelope, and Sakura realized he was prompting her to hand it over to the other guards. She did as such.

One with a mouse mask took the envelope, unsealed it, and then read the message. Then they handed it back to her.

"This way," the ANBU said, and the four of them went through additional barriers, tunnels, and jutsu-locked doors to get to where Sasuke was kept.

The second Sakura could see him in his cell, her stomach fell to the floor. He looked significantly worse than she'd even considered. In just two weeks of imprisonment he must have lost ten pounds. His clothes hung off of him. He was pale, visibly sick, and drenched in perspiration. The bandages on his missing limb looked old, dirty, and worn. She wasn't sure whether to be frightened or infuriated.

Turns out, the latter was what came more naturally.

"Kami! What have you done?" She demanded, fury directed to the ANBU with both her fists clenched. "Nothing, it seems."

They must have known her particular attributes because both of them took a step back at the sight of her fists.

"He's refused to eat. He's refused to let anyone touch him. Even Hokage-sama came to provide medical treatment, but he refused her, too."

Sakura remembered how her mentor said she received the note this afternoon. It meant they waited two weeks to notify her properly.

"I will deal with you later," she seethed. "Now let me in to his cell."

With their masks on it was impossible to tell their reactions, but they wordlessly complied. It took both of them using a specialized jutsu at the exact same time to release the cell doors. Though Sakura planned to ask Sasuke if it was alright if she provided medical treatment, his pitiful condition made her change her mind. He would _not _refuse her, too.

"Sasuke-kun," she said, kneeling in front of the thin mat that he lay on. With his eyes covered for additional protection, she couldn't tell if he was awake. "Are you conscious?"

He tilted his head.

"Can I remove this?" Sakura turned toward the ANBU as she pointed to the blindfold. "I need to see his eyes."

They hesitated to answer or agree to these terms.

"If you make this any more difficult for me than it needs to be, I will bury you both." Her tone was surprisingly calm and even.

"It can be removed with a Rat signal release."

Sakura swiftly released it. The blindfold fell on its own. Though there was only minimal light in the cell in the first place, it was the first time Sasuke wasn't in complete darkness in two weeks. He was heavy-lidded as he blinked in an attempt to open his eyes.

At least he was conscious. She placed one hand atop his chest and the other atop his forehead, instantly radiating her healing chakra to assess the situation. It was exactly what she had expected.

"You have an infection that's spread through your blood," Sakura informed him. "I need to heal it in its entirety, then eliminate the source of it."

He didn't respond, but she could see how he slowly regained focus in his vision. She felt a small pang of encouragement that he'd been refusing treatment from everyone else yet hadn't protested in the slightest with her, but she put the thought to the side and focused on removing the infection. Luckily, removing a blood infection was not as time-consuming as having to pull poison out.

It only takes blood about forty-five seconds to travel from the heart, through the body, and back to the heart. She spent ten minutes removing the infection from the blood each time it cycled through his heart until his blood was completely clear.

Sakura straightened up, and then looked directly to him for the first time. He looked agitated as he met her emerald eyes.

"Have they fed you?" She asked.

Almost imperceptibly, he nodded.

"Have you eaten any of it?" She had a feeling she knew the answer.

This time, he did not nod.

"Why not, Sasuke-kun?"

He just stared at her, and then turned his gaze toward the ceiling above him. She frowned, but decided to put it on pause, knowing his bandages and wound needed urgent attention, still.

"I need to unwrap your bandages, evaluate and clean the wound, and re-wrap the bandages."

Again, she didn't ask for permission, she just started to rummage around in the bag that Tsunade had prepared. She found the rubbing alcohol and sterile lubricant that would assist in removing the bandages without tearing at the skin. Though she knew it couldn't have felt comfortable, he didn't flinch when she unwrapped the old, crusted bandages. The sight underneath was as horrific as she'd thought it would be. Tissue that should have been healing looked swollen and red, with signs of infection by the bone. She refocused her healing chakra onto the inflamed tissue and source of the infection. Now that her chakra reserves were fully restored, she could spend as much attention to the wound as it deserved.

"Alright, that should do it," she said to herself.

"Yama - Tenzo," Sakura called out. "Can you please have them bring me fresh water, soap, and a clean towel?"

She decided she was no longer talking to the ANBU directly. By the sound of departing footsteps, she knew one of them had listened to her instructions. Sakura repositioned her legs, from kneeling uncomfortably by his side, to criss-crossing her legs in a more relaxed position. When she spoke next, she lowered her voice.

"Why won't you accept their food?"

No wonder they felt safer with a blindfold on him. He looked up to the ceiling as if he planned to murder it.

"Can't trust it." His voice was so hoarse that it was not even recognizable.

She pulled a fresh bottle of water with a straw already attached from her bag, and presented it to him. He didn't take it from her.

"I can put the straw in your mouth myself, or you can do it."

He took the bottle. Smart enough to start with brief, careful sips, he drank a limited amount of water.

Sakura sat there and thought about how he did not trust the food. She wanted to protest his lack of trust, but she knew that there were things that she did not know, and she knew that he would not suddenly change his mind now if he had persisted on starving himself for so long already.

"I know you don't know him, but Tenzo is another member of our team. He served on ANBU with Kaka-sensei, and has special abilities that were needed to protect Naruto from the nine-tailed fox. Kakashi entrusted Tenzo to take his place as our sensei for awhile. I trust Tenzo with my life." The next part was unspoken: _And you trust me with yours._

Sakura finished. "If I ask him to bring food from my own apartment, will you accept it?"

He deliberated. She knew the temptation had to be great, but that his stubbornness could be greater.

"Please? You cannot survive without food for much longer, Sasuke-kun."

Finally, he nodded. She sighed loudly in relief and turned toward the man she'd only known as her replacement sensei, elephant-masked Yamato, now Tenzo.

"I have leftover miso pork, tomatoes, and granola in my kitchen. Can you please get it?"

"My transportation jutsu doesn't go directly into your apartment." Though this was obvious, he meant that he'd be awhile.

"Well, I'd hope not," she countered. Then, she was serious. "I'll wait."

The ANBU arrived with a bucket of water, a bar of soap, and a few clean towels. When they dropped them at the entrance of the cell, as close as Sasuke would typically let them get, she forced herself to say thanks.

"I have to wash out the wound before I redo the bandages. Then, if you want to wash in general…" she trailed off.

"Hn."

Sakura noted that the water was warm, not cold. Apparently instilling a little fear into the ANBU guards had worked. She took one of the smaller towels and used it to wash what remained of Sasuke's right arm. The first time she'd provided treatment to his still-bleeding wound, she was in shock. Now, she was deeply saddened as she tended to it. Though Sakura was glad he was alive, she still grieved. Losing your dominant arm was not a small price to pay.

"There's no more necrotic tissue," she said, feeling the need to fill the silence of what seemed so intimate, even with her professional training. "The infection shouldn't return if you allow them to provide a daily check-up for a few more days."

"No."

She swallowed. "Then I'll be back to do it."

Sakura had no way of knowing if she would secure that permission, but she intended to use all of her political might and powerful friendships to make sure that she could.

When she finished washing his arm, she carefully patted it dry, and then securely did the new round of bandages. By the time she finished, Tenzo was back with the food she mentioned.

"I heated the miso up," he said as he placed it at the cell's entrance.

She smiled and thanked him, hoping Sasuke would also recognize this thoughtful gesture as a sign of him being trustworthy. As Sakura went to collect the food items, Sasuke forced himself up into a sitting position. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, he was grateful that the wall was there to lean against.

"I would start with the protein," Sakura said, lifting the pork miso up to him, "But if you haven't eaten in two weeks, then you really should only have a few bites. At least for now."

Sasuke knew that, too. He took the bowl she offered, set it beside him, and carefully ate only five small bites. Sakura waited patiently, her brows furrowed as she stared at the wall, seemingly perpetually concerned.

"Did you make this?" Sasuke's question caught her off-guard.

"The miso? Yes."

He blinked. "Your cooking skills have not improved."

Sakura was aghast. Her jaw actually dropped, so surprised that he would make unnecessary conversation, not to mention she was offended that her home-cooked meal was worth so little to someone who had literally just been starving. But then she took a deeper look into his eyes and her heart all but exploded. There was a warmth and gentleness in his now mismatched eyes that she hadn't seen from him in a long, long time; even when they were children, it was rare.

She realized he was not insulting her, but extending an olive branch. At first she started to smile, but then, it all hit her at once: the euphoria of his return, his sincere apology, his trust in her (and only her), and his commentary now, as if they were still friends, still teammates - still close. Sakura burst out into laughter.

"That's fine," she said, grinning. "I have no problem admitting I spent my spare time training and studying, not in the kitchen."

"Hn." It was no laugh, but it was a light, breathy exhale.

Sasuke was exhausted, though. He returned to his lying position on his own initiative.

"I'll have Kaka-sensei bring you more food and clean clothes so you can wash properly tomorrow. Then I'll be back to redo your bandages."

He nodded. Sakura stood, put all of her items back into Lady Tsuande's bag, and left the cell. Though it was an unspoken concern that she had not put the blindfold back on, one look at her hardened glare, and nobody protested.

Sakura wanted to say goodbye, but when she looked back over her shoulder to see into his cell, she was fairly certain Sasuke was already fast asleep.

.

.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you for reading! My medical knowledge does not exist, but I pretended with the aide of Google. I'm returning to fanfiction (and Naruto) for the first time since 2012. I'm sure this can't be too original, but I've been struggling to find realistic, canon-inspired fics prior to Sarada. Please let me know if you have any recommendations of the like! If you choose to review, thank you in advance.

\- H


	2. Chapter 2

**Something Left**

Chapter Two

"There is no reconciliation that will put me in my place,

And there is no time like the present to drink these draining seconds.

But seldom do these words ring true when I'm constantly failing you,

Walls that we just can't break through until we disappear..."

_Lyrics of Savior, Rise Against_

* * *

It was a beautiful day to be outside, with a cool, crisp breeze and only mild heat from the late afternoon sun. Sakura thought she had found a private place to sit atop the roof on the hospital, meditating as the sun started its descent, so she was surprised when Kakashi joined her.

"May I?" He asked first.

"Of course, Kaka-sensei."

"Please," he corrected. "Kakashi."

She offered him a smile with no promises as he took the seat next to her.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"As good as new."

She was genuinely glad to hear that.

"How's Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

The warmth of her smile faded. "He's going to be alright. He'll need to complete physical therapy, like Naruto has been doing, but as far as the physical healing goes, he's well. Now that he's eating again each day, his weight and health should improve and maintain itself, too."

Kakashi hummed in approval. Then, evaluating her from the corner of his eye, he complimented her work. "You are the only one he will allow to heal him. The only one who he listened to. He trusts you, Sakura."

He waited for her to blush, grin, or even squeal with excitement, but instead she seemed to restrain herself from revealing a frown.

"I thought that would make you happy," he said, quietly.

Sakura watched as the sun made its final descent below the horizon. Light still remained, but soon, that would fade, too.

"It does." She was honest. "I worked so hard to be of value to this team. We all worked so hard to bring him home. I am happy that it mattered, that it meant something, in the end."

There was a "but…" coming, and before she could say it aloud, Kakashi had a feeling that he knew what it would be. He didn't prompt her for more details, just held the space for her. As he suspected, when she was ready, she shared her thoughts.

"I could be dead." Then she corrected herself, laughing humorlessly. "I _should _be dead. He tried to kill me, but now he's back, he's home, and he's apologized, and I believe him, but it doesn't really change the fact that I should be dead."

Sakura swallowed the painful knot in her throat. "I could be dead, because of him, and now that he's here, he's only alive because he _trusts _me. His trust in me didn't falter. But my trust in him…"

Suddenly her unconditional love for him was not something brave and precious, but shameful. And if she couldn't trust him, then it wasn't really unconditional, was it? She tormented herself as she circled through the same thoughts over and over again.

Kakashi wished that he could say he knew Sasuke would not have followed through with his attack against her, but he was there for it. That would have been a lie, and she would have known it.

He remembered what was needed for Obito and him to connect. It was a lifetime ago, and it was something he had only learned about later, but Kakashi thought about how Minato-sensei confided in Obito about his silver-haired teammates' dark past and troubles. Even though it was not his business to do so, it was what was necessary.

"I think there's something that I should tell you," Kakashi said. "It isn't really my place to do so, but because you're on his team, I think you should know."

Sakura turned her head. "What do you mean?"

For a moment, he paused. The weight of what he had to share was a heavy burden for a Konoha shinobi to have to bear. But he knew, if it was for Sasuke and their team, she would want to. She would need to.

Thus, Kakashi told her the truth about the Uchiha massacre. He described Itachi's sincere love for his younger brother, and the ensuing torment Sasuke faced at losing not only his clan, but then his brother, and also his faith in the village, too. Sakura sat there listening, hands folded in her lap and head hung low, overloaded by the shock of these overwhelming stories. If they had been coming from anyone besides Kaka-sensei, she would have argued, refuted them, or protested. But to the core of her heart and depths of her soul, she knew these weren't lies. In a sick, terrifying way, it all made perfect sense. When Kakashi finished, when it had been silent for even longer than he had spoken, when it was so dark that the stars were the only light in the sky, Sakura began to sob.

.

.

.

.

The next time Sakura went to visit Sasuke to provide medical treatment, she was late, and seemingly disinterested. She wore civilian clothes - a black long-sleeved shirt and jeans - with no leaf headband and her hair haphazardly braided to the side, looking messy, as if she'd slept on it. As she entered his cell, her medical bag loosely draped over her shoulder, she didn't greet him as usual. In fact, it seemed as though she was avoiding him altogether. Though it was a noticeable difference in her disposition, Sasuke decided not to question it. He felt it was a matter of time before the joy of his return would transition into despise that he'd left, and for what he had done to her thereafter.

Now used to the routine, Sasuke sat himself up on the edge of the ledge, making room for Sakura's medical bag to his side. When she placed it there and rummaged around in it, she continued to avoid looking at him. Sasuke resigned himself to whatever hurling insults or punishment she planned to deliver to him.

"Are you still feeling alright? Still able to eat?" When Sakura asked, it sounded like strictly doctor business as usual, but he noticed how her voice sounded hoarse, as if it had been overextended.

He didn't answer, so she finally looked up to him. There were puffy, dark circles under eyes, as though she hadn't slept, and her emerald orbs were surrounded by bloodshot vessels. This was a more familiar sight to him: she had been crying. By her overall disposition, Sasuke concluded she had been crying _a lot. _

"Yes," he said. He studied her, but there was no way to decipher what was the cause of her angst.

"Good. Try to eat more each day. Your body should be able to sustain it now."

He nodded.

Sakura did the rest of her work without saying another word. Sasuke looked for signs of animosity or bitterness, but he found the opposite. Her touches were lighter, more tender even, than from when she had worked on him during far more difficult procedures.

Then he realized there was a tremor starting in her hands. It wouldn't have been noticeable at first, but he had been watching her movements, and knew it was atypical for her. What started with a slight tremor gradually turned into shaking hands, and with a gasp, Sakura dropped the gauze and shot upward. She turned away from him, standing in the corner of the room.

"S-sorry," she whispered.

_Do not cry, do not cry, do not cry, Haruno, _she chanted to herself, balling her fists.

Sasuke had never been good at consoling her, and that wasn't something that had changed with age. If anything, that particular skill-set was buried in the dust somewhere in an old Orichamaru lair. He didn't even know what was wrong in the first place. All he knew was dropping gauze and taking a pause was nothing to be apologizing for, but he didn't think it was necessary to say as much.

After another moment, Sakura released her fists and came back to his side, once again averting her gaze. She found a new, clean roll of gauze and finished re-bandaging the stunted limb. No new tears had sprung.

"Is there anything else?" She asked, clearly sounding like she wanted to leave.

Sasuke didn't answer. Instead, he leaned down, and with his one good arm he picked up the gauze that had fallen. He lifted it, not offering it back to her, holding it beside him.

Sakura clenched her teeth. _Do not cry, do not cry, do not cry._ That was all she could afford to think. As a child, she would have swooned at the thought of Sasuke noticing her sadness and addressing it. Now she couldn't believe the irony of his timing, to choose _now _to be interested in her feelings, a time when she was certain that it would be inappropriate to share.

She busied herself, tucking the loose strands of hair behind her ear, rearranging the medical bag on her shoulder, as she steeled her voice.

"As a child, I rolled my eyes when Naruto swore he would become the greatest Hokage," she started.

Immediately Sasuke wondered if something fatal had happened to Naruto. He furrowed his brows, waiting for her to finish the thought.

"But now I know with certainty that he will be." She was utterly confident, but absolutely sad.

Realizing the dobe was fine, Sasuke loosened, accidentally letting down his guard. Her next words blindsided him.

"Naruto would _never_ do something like what the Third did to your family. He would have found another way." Her voice broke, so she stopped there.

For a split second, shock and pain enveloped Sasuke's face. It was the first time someone brought this up, with as much injustice and vehemence as he felt - as he had felt alone. When he recovered, he was glad that Sakura was not watching, but instead staring at the dirtied gauze in his hand. She sighed, reached for the gauze, trembling again, and took it from his loose grip.

"This time, Sasuke-kun, you're not seeking vengeance on your own."

Then she left.

.

.

.

The Fifth Hokage felt that her last accomplishment should be the fair trial of Uchiha Sasuke and the proper disposal of the elders who had been involved in his clan's massacre. She sought to this diligently with the support of the Hokage-elect, Hatake Kakashi, but felt only minimal resolution about it even once it was over.

Sasuke was absolved of his crimes, which included but were not limited to, betrayal of the village, multiple accounts of attempted murder, attempted assassination, and murder-assassination of the Hokage-elect. The private jury that had been assembled was personally asked by the Hokage to consider the truth of the Uchiha Massacre, the compacted trauma faced by the young man who had recently heard the calamitous truth, and how it was only thanks to him that the world was saved. Since it could be proved that Sasuke had not killed a single person besides Uchiha Itachi up until learning the truth about Konoha's involvement in his clan's massacre, it convinced the jury well enough. He would be on probation for twelve months in which the chakra-repressive seal would not be removed from his forehead, and then afterwards, a review board of hand-selected officials would consider both its removal and his eligibility to return as a Leaf shinobi.

There was nothing that could make what happened to Itachi and Sasuke acceptable, but Tsunade had an obsidian monument erected at the grave site of the Uchiha clan in honor of the eldest brother. It read "The Real Hero of the Leaf", with no name, and no dates.

Tsunade retired.

.

.

Everything in the Uchiha Compound was exactly how he left it, for better or for worse. When Sasuke walked through it, thinking of his older brother, thinking of what the corrupt village leaders had done, pain hit him in an entirely new, viscous way. He'd been angry - _more _than angry, bloodthirsty, and vengeful. He hadn't yet been sad, though.

As he walked through the compound, a ghost town he never had gotten used to, he felt the suffocating weight of the truth. With Itachi dead, he was officially the last Uchiha. And as the sole survivor, he was utterly alone.

For the first time since he was a boy, he cried.

.

.

.

It was decided that Team 7 would take Sasuke out for dinner on Friday nights. Though he had nothing to do but clean, repair, and rebuild the compound while on probation, the others were extremely busy. Naruto led S-rank missions and trained younger genin in his spare time. Sakura was second-in-command at the hospital and was helping Shikamaru with the Chunin exams. Kakashi was absorbed in political affairs and paperwork, things he had previously kept at a distance, and did his best to sneak away for missions that held diplomatic value when he could. The truth was, by Friday afternoon, Sasuke was looking forward to their escort away from the compound.

It was Kakashi who came for Sasuke the first Friday night. When the two walked through town, there were endless stares, whispers, and even those who retreated in fear. Sasuke didn't care - he knew he did nothing wrong - but he thought about when Naruto was a child and experienced a similar mistreatment. That boy had a softer heart, and was more oriented toward needing to be around people; Sasuke for the first time understood what kind of hell it was that Naruto grew up in.

When they arrived at restaurant, it was only Naruto waiting for them. Kakashi was surprised that Sakura wouldn't have arrived earlier than Naruto. After the excitable ninja greeted Sasuke, their old sensei asked about her whereabouts.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan is going to be late," Naruto explained. "Shizune wasn't at the hospital so Sakura had to take care of things today. I guess she's still in surgery."

"Performing surgery," Kakashi corrected.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, I'm starving!"

It was Naruto's gift to be able to keep steady, comfortable conversation flowing, as he told foils and laughs from his last week. They were halfway through their meal when Sakura showed up; her hair was down, but it was waved from being tightened up in a bun throughout the day. She had switched into comfortable clothes with her signature red in the form of a thin cardigan.

"Look who made it," Kakashi greeted.

Sakura smiled, her eyes tired. "I'm sorry. Gai-sensei took a kunai to the calf. I had to be slow and careful."

"Is Gai-sensei alright? How about Bushy Brows?" Naruto asked, concerned, slurping up ramen.

Sakura took the seat next to Naruto, which was directly across from Sasuke. When they made eye-contact for the first time, she offered a polite nod. He returned it.

"Oh yes, they're both fine," she promised. "Gai-sensei purposefully took the hit. He knew it could be fixed. Rather reckless, but you know him."

Kakashi pushed a second bowl that he had across the table to Sakura. "It might be cold, but it's pork miso."

"My favorite," she said in thanks. "No matter. It's rare to get a hot meal these days. Thank you, sensei."

It seemed Naruto planned to fill Sasuke in on every single detail about their years apart. Believe it or not, Sasuke didn't seem to mind.

After Sakura finished her food, with Naruto excitedly talking, and Kakashi chiming in with details that were accidentally missed, she began to struggle from the weight of sleep deprivation. Her eyes closed, unable to help it, as she rested her head back on the booth. Sasuke noticed the change in her breathing as her head unconsciously slipped down, resting atop Naruto's shoulder. It caught Naruto and Kakashi's attention for the first time.

"She's exhausted," Kakashi noted.

Naruto peeked from the corner of his eye. "She's been at that hospital for three days straight. I bet she hasn't slept at all."

It looked so natural for the pink-haired girl to be resting atop Naruto's broad shoulders. No doubt, she trusted him with her life.

Then Naruto grinned mischievously. "Should we play a prank?" Answering himself, he said, "Yeah, Kakashi, you got a marker?"

"That's childish," Sasuke said.

"Of course it is," Naruto laughed quietly. "It's so fun to see Sakura-chan really angry, though."

Kakashi deadpanned. "She's going to really maim you, one of these days, Naruto."

"You haven't changed," Sasuke sighed.

Naruto smiled proudly. "Oh, I've changed a lot. But I haven't lost who I am."

Sasuke looked at him, thinking about the words he chose. _But I haven't lost who I am._ Sasuke wondered about himself; had he lost who he was? With so much turmoil, shock, pain, and chaos, he knew that he had.

"Hey, Sakura," Kakashi called.

Her emerald eyes flew open with a start. When she realized she was on Naruto's shoulders, sleeping, she pushed herself back up and blushed. "Ah, sorry, Naruto."

"I've got the bill," Kakashi said. "Why don't you let Naruto take you home."

Sakura rubbed at her eyes. "Alright, but the next one is on me."

Naruto stood up, and lifted a hand out for Sakura. She accepted his help and stepped outside of the booth.

"Hey, Sasuke, can I come by tomorrow?" Naruto asked, but it didn't really sound like a question. He was already starting to walk away.

"Sure."

"Bye, Sasuke," Sakura said, another attempt to be polite. "Good night, Kaka-sensei."

"Good night, Sakura," Kakashi smiled underneath his mask.

Sasuke nodded farewell, and then she turned away to leave, too.

"Looks like it's just us," Kakashi said, getting up to take the seat across from Sasuke, instead.

"You must be busy with your new responsibilities. We can go."

"Never too busy for my old team," Kakashi promised. Then, "Let's get dessert. Just don't tell Naruto we did it without him."

Despite himself, Sasuke smirked.

They ordered green tea ice cream and ate together in a content, peaceful silence.

.

.

Naruto did come to visit Sasuke the next day, just as he'd said he would. He carried a package in his hands, a stuffed envelope. It was the first time Sasuke had a visitor in the compound since he'd been fixing it. Most, though not all of the Uchiha clan symbols had been removed from the outer walls. Naruto wondered if he was renouncing his clan, but then he knew Sasuke still wore clothes with the crest. _Maybe,_ Naruto thought, _he just wants there to be a little less pride and exclusiveness within the Uchiha._

"I like what you've done to the place," Naruto said. "Much, much less dirty now that you're back, eh?"

"I have nothing else to do," Sasuke sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I was thinking about that. What are you going to do with yourself?"

"Read, I suppose," Sasuke said, not exactly sounding happy about it.

"Gross," Naruto said. Then he remembered The Gutsy Ninja, the novel that led to his namesake, and smiled. "I have one recommendation for you. I'll bring it by next time."

Sasuke was surprised upon realizing he was serious. "Alright."

Naruto didn't waste any time. He extended the stuffed envelope to Sasuke. "Here. These are for you."

Sasuke took it. "What is it?"

Naruto scratched his head. "Well, I didn't think you kept any photos of Itachi, after what happened to your family and clan. When you thought it was him who killed them."

Sasuke stared at him, still as a stone statue, holding the envelope steady in his hand.

"So, I talked to some of the older people. I asked around." Naruto pointed to the envelope. "Those are the photos I could find with Itachi in them."

Sasuke gripped the envelope harder. As much as he wanted nothing to do with the envelope, he immediately wanted to open it, too.

"There aren't really any good ones, or any of just him," Naruto apologized. "But it's at least something to remember him by."

Sasuke looked down at the envelope. He hesitated to open it. He didn't know if he could control his emotions in front of Naruto.

"Well, I have to go," Naruto lied. Sasuke could tell it was for his benefit. "I'll see you next week for dinner, okay?"

When Sasuke didn't answer, Naruto started to walk away.

"Naruto."

Naruto paused, and turned around to his best friend. "Yeah?"

Sasuke blinked. "Thank you."

An enormous grin broke out on Naruto's fox-face. "That's what friends are for."

He left, expecting nothing else in return.

.

.

.

Naruto insisted on throwing the largest party Konoha had ever seen to celebrate Kakashi being announced as The Sixth Hokage, of course only to be rivaled by his future celebration as the Seventh Hokage. It had been a very long time since Sakura even considered attendance at something meant for fun. It gave her a sense of normalcy and joy she hadn't realized was missing from her soul.

The pink-haired kunoichi did a messy crown braid with all of her hair that she could fit into the casual updo, and then she slipped on a previously unworn dress Ino had bought her after she passed the Chunin exams. It was a sleeveless, soft olive green dress with a deep V-neck and wooden buttons lining the middle. The dress reached just above her knees and she slipped on comfortable, chunky wooden heels. Her amethyst gem in the center of her forehead felt like decoration enough, so she only applied light mascara and lip gloss before she took off.

When Sakura arrived at the main plaza before the Hokage's office, she found it had been completely transformed. String lights, streamers, balloons, and confetti decorated the pop-up tents that provided coverage and additional seating. It smelled heavenly, and she had no doubt that of all the costs Naruto could have skimped out on, food wouldn't have been one of them. Loud, upbeat music was blasting through the plaza, and thanks to the excitable blonde leading the way, she found that there were already many people dancing on the temporarily assembled dance floor. Not ready to have _that _much fun, she looked around instead for the man of the hour.

Kakashi-sama was standing at the outskirts of the crowd, next to his best friend and rival, Might Gai. It looked like many others had the same idea as her; there was a line of civilians and shinobi alike waiting to approach Kakashi and shake his hand. It made Sakura proud. She skipped the line and instead snuck up from behind, taking the spot next to Gai. With almost as much excitement as Lee would have had, he greeted her, and she returned his friendly embrace.

In-between handshakes, Kaka-sama briefly looked over to her, a look of horror and an apology in his overwhelmed eyes, but she grinned at him and left him to the next handshaker.

"Hey, Sakura." It was Tenten, holding two glasses of champagne. "I got this for Gai-sensei, but he's already had one."

"Of course, take it Sakura, I shall have plenty more opportunities to celebrate Kakashi's youthfulness with the help of bubbly alcohol."

Sakura thanked them both as she took her first sip.

"I was going to go find Hinata-chan, I'm pretty sure she's by the dance floor with Naruto, want to come with me?"

"Sure," Sakura said. She waved goodbye to Kakashi, expecting that he would be unavailable for the rest of the night, and left with the older girl.

As she could have expected, the dance floor was dominated by her two best friends, ironically both of them blonde, blue-eyed, and loud. They both greeted her with elation, hugs, and enthusiastic prompts for her to join them.

"Maybe later," she promised.

The surrounding group had many familiar faces, their closest friends: Sai, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Choji, and Lee. Even their friends from the Sand Village, who had come for Kakashi's ceremony, stayed: Gaara, Temari, and Kankaru were on the floor, too. Not everyone danced, but smiles, swaying, and laughter floated amidst all of them. It had been so very long since the world seemed to be safe, and right, and hopeful. Sakura embraced it, drinking more champagne, laughing harder than she had in years, and dancing shamelessly.

When a more popular, upbeat song started that was a favorite of many, an inadvertent dance circle was formed, and one by one, they were forced to the center. Ino was skilled and confident, provocative in her twists and turns, making even Sai blush. Sakura smirked, knowing that it was certainly planned on Ino's part. Naruto went next, dropping to the floor and thrusting his legs, some sort of break-dancing maneuver she had seen from him before in his most zealous moments. Tenten joined after, rocking her shoulders, perhaps not an expert dancer so much as a skilled kunoichi as she bounced from the tips of her toes all the way down on her haunches. Ino pushed Sai forward next, and he stood helplessly in the center, no different than a deer in surprise.

"Oh, help him, Sakura," Tenten plead.

Sakura couldn't help it. The endorphins from laughing, several glasses of champagne, and the look of horror on Sai's poor face were enough to embolden her. She ran to Sai, wrapping an arm around him, and started to move to the music. As she swayed her hips, bumping into him, he finally realized he should do the same, and paced her sways so they moved together in rhythm. Everyone hollered and whooped.

"Get it, Sai," Naruto cheered on.

The pink-haired kunoichi was no Ino, but like Tenten, she was strong, lithe, and capable. Restricted by her dress and attachment on her left side, Sakura darted her right leg out, pointed her toes, and pulsed, matching the fast tune, _dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh oh, oh oh! _

For a few seconds Sai watched to learn, and then he mimicked her same moves with his left leg. If the crowd had been loud before, what came next was nothing to it. From screams of excitement to proud cheers, their group went wild, even attracting the attention and finally the attendance of Kakashi-sama. As the tune changed back to the bridge of the song, Sakura released her leg, and dropped her hold on Sai to maneuver them both out from the center. She was smiling so hard her mouth hurt. Kiba rushed into the middle next and Akamaru barked with support.

When Sakura went to praise Sai, it was too late. Ino all but had hearts throbbing from her eyes as she took hold of Sai's hands and brought him closer to her. Sakura easily released him. She found Kaka-sama's eyes, who was no doubt smiling in mirth beneath his mask, and then she noticed who else was behind him.

Surprised, she saw Sasuke, dressed well for the occasion with a skinny black tie atop a meteorite gray dress shirt and belted, black pants. His one sleeve hung, and his other was rolled to his elbow, with his one hand comfortably tucked into his pocket. He looked slightly overwhelmed and as though he felt entirely out of place. When he caught her looking at him, she smiled nervously and nodded in greeting. He nodded back.

Then, Naruto realized his best friend had arrived, and hell broke loose for Sasuke. Sakura was confident that if his chakra had been returned, the sharingan would have whirled threateningly. Instead he was defenseless as Naruto bear-hugged him.

In that moment, Sakura knew every tear, every sleepless night, and every ounce of pain had been worth it. To see her team whole again was worth it.

.

.

Sasuke waited as long as he could, which was probably only half an hour, before deciding to retreat from the party. He didn't plan on saying goodbye to anyone, which might have been impolite in his mother's eyes, but would save him from needing to argue with Naruto or receive any other unwanted attention.

He waited for the perfect moment to leave unnoticed. Naruto was glued to the Hyuga heir's side. He wasn't sure when that relationship had evolved, but the two had been slow-dancing for several songs now, eyes completely locked onto each other. If an explosion erupted nearby, Sasuke didn't think the dobe would have even looked up. When the music had slowed down, he noticed that Sakura expertly avoided Lee and then politely declined an invitation to dance from a man he didn't recognize as she retreated to the tables. Now, she was in the middle of an arm-wrestling tournament that Kiba had challenged her to, and other men soon lined up to participate in. It was pointless; she was beating them one by one without breaking a sweat. Kakashi was no longer at the center of attention, and since he was not one to dance either, he sat at the end of the table in a contented solitude. He monitored the arm-wrestling tournament with amused chuckles when Sakura pretended to struggle or if men fumed in their losses.

As Sasuke slipped away, he thought it went unnoticed; but as soon as he turned down the main street, he heard the gentle steps of someone in heels from behind him. Thanks to the nearby party, there was not a single other person out. He turned back around to face the owner of the footsteps.

It was Sakura, of course.

"Leaving already?" She asked.

Sasuke put his one hand into his pocket. "Kakashi asked me to come. I went."

She laughed a little. "Guess it's hard to ignore the Hokage when he invites you to his own party."

He nodded; that was about right.

"I know this type of event isn't your cup of tea. I'm sure he's glad you came."

He waited for her to say it. That they were all glad he came, that she was glad he came, but she didn't. With her cheeks flushed from the champagne and additional strands of hair sprung loose from her braided crown after hours of dancing, she offered a full, dazzling smile.

"Well, have a good night, Sasuke-kun."

Before he could respond, she spun back around and returned to the party. Sasuke watched her for a moment. The last time he had stood behind her was on the battlefield, when she fiercely stood before him and Naruto, utilizing her super strength to careen dozens of enemy combatants across the terrain. Then again, when she channeled her excessive chakra reserves into Obito to travel through the time-loops and find him, when she started to collapse from exhaustion but he swapped places with her burned jacket and he caught her along his chest. He noticed that even in civilian clothes, she looked just as strong.

When Sasuke walked toward his home, he found that the quiet, empty streets were no less comfortable than the commotion from the party. The truth was he didn't feel like he belonged here. The more frightening truth was that he wasn't sure he belonged anywhere. For now, while chakra-restrained and on the probation he knew he deserved, he had to stay here. Later, if he was granted full freedom to do as he pleased, he knew he needed to leave.

.

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* * *

_**A/N**_: Thank you for reading! If you choose to review, I appreciate that, too. Is the timeline clear enough? This is meant to fit within canon before Sasuke leaves Konoha to reflect on himself, his sins, and his place in world. You know, all that good stuff.

\- H


	3. Chapter 3

**Something Left**

Chapter Three

"So tell me now

If this ain't love then how do we get out?

… 'Cause I don't know.

That's when she said 'I don't hate you, boy,

I just want to save you while there's still something left to save.'"

_Lyrics of Savior, Rise Against_

* * *

Brave declarations of love and sacrifice made in desperate moments didn't quite fit into their new life. Naruto forgave _so _easily, bravely facing the ugliest, cruelest incidents in one moment and forgetting them in the next. Sakura couldn't do the same. The forgiveness she could have offered felt inextricably linked to what shreds of self-dignity she had left. Without meaning to, she coped through avoidance, feigning nonchalance, and pure stubbornness.

"I don't get the big deal, Forehead. You've spent almost your entire life in love with him. And uh, newsflash, it's not like he doesn't know how you feel."

Sakura was too grim to be indignant. "Exactly the problem, Ino."

Albeit Sasuke's return to Konoha did close the physical distance between them, Sakura felt a different, more treacherous chasm separating them now. It was not just the sometimes awkward and always anxious moments at weekly team dinners and medical checkups, but the more significant realization that who they were at twelve years old was not who they were now.

"Well," Ino blustered, "It's not like he's the type to take initiative, Sakura."

That wasn't entirely true, though. Sasuke did what he wanted to do, and nothing else. Sure, he had an apathetic disposition to most things, and often let others like her and Naruto take the lead on simple decisions. But the things that were the most important to him received his _entire_ attention and focus. In that regard, Sasuke didn't just take initiative – he bulldozed through with a frightening, unstoppable intensity.

"It's alright, Ino-Pig," Sakura tried to lighten the mood. "I'm not an insecure child anymore."

Oh, to be twelve again. When love was pure, simple, and - well, when it was enough.

The recent course of events proved that Sasuke cared, trusted her, and even wanted to repair the bonds he'd severed. She was able to be grateful for that.

She couldn't settle for it, though.

.

.

.

.

She refused to take a seat on _that _bench. Instead, she stood across from it, staring it down with mild disdain and genuine confusion.

Though Sakura had promised herself she would not do or say anything humiliating, her rebellious tongue had other plans. Thinking of him leaving Konoha again was so unbearably painful. It was an impossible weight on her chest, and in an attempt to relieve the pressure, she'd hesitantly offered to join him.

What had her in a dazed stupor was Sasuke's ambiguous response; an almost affectionate touch to her forehead, the gentle promise to consider it for next time, and sincere gratitude.

She didn't know what it meant; she didn't know what it could mean for the future. But in that moment, she felt that a bridge was being built over that chasm between them.

.

.

.

.

As the years passed with Sasuke's absence, Sakura found that she was grateful for it. Her childhood had been dominated by her girlish obsessions. Her youth had been monopolized in agonizing over his departure. For perhaps the first time, she focused on herself, her dreams and aspirations, and her own needs. While he was often on her mind, he was no longer the _only_ thing on her mind.

Thanks to an anonymous donor, she was able to secure funding to open a Children's Mental Health Clinic, and she worked ceaselessly to get it up and operational. If she wanted to advance to being a jonin, she'd need to train harder and master her elemental chakra nature (water, it turned out to be). Though at first she'd immediately decline any propositions to go on a date, every once in awhile she indulged if it was noncommittal for both of them.

Still, Sakura spent every Monday afternoon at the memorial gardens, cleaning the tombstone of Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto, pulling weeds, and pausing respectfully at the nameless obsidian monument, replacing the previous weeks' white rose with a new one. While at first the hawks' sharp talons and intelligent eyes intimidated her, they soon became her favorite sight to see. Every few weeks they delivered a note meant just for her. And each night before she fell asleep, the last thing she looked at was their old team photo.

Sakura knew in the depths of her heart that she'd never move on from him, but she found sweet relief in moving on with life.

.

.

.

Sakura was exhausted by the time they reached Konoha's gates. Her, Shikamaru, and Naruto had traveled to the Sand Village for a diplomatic mission that hit detours at every turn. Temari's announcement she was pregnant with her and Shikamaru's baby was at least an exciting one, but the sandstorms, record heat wave, missing child, and gang of petty criminals attacking them on their way back home put them behind schedule a full week. Covered in sweat and grime from several days worth of travel, Sakura was more than ready to rip off her flak jacket, strip and take an ice bath.

First, at least one of them had to report to the Hokage, especially after the unusual delay. Since Naruto was desperate to see his new bride, and Shikamaru wanted to go find his mom, Kurenai-sensei, and teammates to tell them the news, Sakura offered to find Kakashi-sama. When she finally made it to the air-conditioned headquarters of the Hokage's office, she sighed in relief. Few could interrupt the Hokage without an appointment, let alone burst through his doors, but as a former student, Sakura considered herself a special exception. There were no other chakra signatures behind the office doors and she knew he was alone. She pulled off her flak jacket, happy to finally be in only a haltered, black cropped top with her black spandex underneath her favorite loose pink skirt.

"Hey, Kakashi-sama," she started, opening and closing the doors without looking over to him yet. Surely he was only slacking or actually absorbed into papers at this time of the day. "I would like to put in an official request to…"

As she turned around, she was startled at the sight of his guest. _Sasuke!_

She forgot her words. Sasuke stood across from Kakashi's desk, his signature hand tucked into a pocket, and looked over at her. He looked healthy, at ease, and... well, older. What had been left of his boyish features the last time she'd seen him were completely absent now. If possible, he was even more handsome than how she'd envisioned him in her dreams.

There was something akin to amusement on both their faces. Sakura reddened.

"Uh, sorry for interrupting, I didn't sense another chakra source." Sakura brushed sweat and dirt from her forehead with her one free hand.

"That proves it then," Kakashi said, as if she was already participating in some other conversation. "Sasuke was just showing me how he's altered his chakra radiation to hide it completely, which was essential for espionage missions."

"Right." Sakura took a step back. "Well, I was just reporting back, I'll ge-"

"What's your official request, Sakura?" Kakashi asked her.

She was embarrassed, but owned up to it, and lifted the flak jacket. "Uh, to retire flak jackets over the summer months. It wasn't an important request."

Kakashi smiled under his mask. Sasuke lifted a brow, and Sakura avoided his gaze, conscious that her bare stomach with its large, ugly scar was revealed. _Kami, why now? Why now when I'm dirty and gross?_

"I can make a special exception for you." Then he turned to Sasuke. "Can you wait a few more moments? I just need to ask Sakura few questions."

Sasuke nodded. It was ironic; from an outside perspective, Sasuke standing besides the Hokage's desk consulting with him looked so natural. He looked like a seasoned adviser. Sakura took a few steps closer to stand in front of the desk, trying to keep a safe distance between her and Sasuke, knowing she probably smelled as bad as she looked. Her hair was put up, but it was likely sticking out in every direction.

"You're extremely late," Kakashi said.

Overtired from the trip, she had a sense of humor about it. "I did learn from the best."

Kakashi had no comeback for that. Sakura became serious though.

"Everything is fine, and everyone is fine, it was just a 'what can go wrong, will go wrong' sort of mission. Except for the first hold-up. I'll tell you, but keep the news to yourself until Shikamaru is ready to share."

Kakashi waited, curious.

"Temari is pregnant with their child."

The Hokage leaned back in his chair. "That's wonderful news."

"It is," Sakura agreed warmly, happy for both of them.

"Is he going to join her in Sand?" Kakashi asked, unable to help being worried about losing his best adviser.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I think they discussed it at length, but both of them have such strong ties to their own village and family, I don't think either of them wants to leave their home."

Kakashi understood. "Family matters become complicated matters for shinobi."

She nodded. Then she finished her mission report. "Naruto secured the Kazekage's signature for all of the matters you proposed."

She looked through her flak jacket for the diplomatic scroll that had a seal only a Kage could open and handed it to him.

"But then we were held up by a heat weave that left many civilians dehydrated. I helped out a few hours before we set out, and then there were sandstorms, so we had to retreat. _Then_ there was a missing child because of the storms, and Naruto of course promised to help out. When we finally did really leave Sand, a band of petty thieves attempted to rob us and kidnap me."

Kakashi paused. Kidnap would have likely only been the first part of that crime in their scheme.

"You weren't harmed?" He asked, and she knew exactly what he was asking.

Sakura tilted her head. "Of course not."

"Good. Anything else?"

"No," she said. "That's all."

"Thank you for reporting back to me. I'm sure you're exhausted."

Sakura looked down at herself. "Yeah, I've been better." But then she looked up at him. "How are things at the hospital? The clinic?"

"When you were late, I saw to it myself that Shizune covered the clinic for you," Kakashi promised. "The children are in good hands."

She was relieved. "Thank you, Kaka-sama."

When it seemed that things were wrapped up, Sakura prepared to leave, but Kakashi looked over at their other attendee. "Why don't you tell her yourself?"

Sakura looked over to Sasuke; dirty and gross as she surely looked, she couldn't care. It felt _so _good to see him, to have him back home, to have such a sense of normalcy around him being in the office. With his rinnegan covered by overgrown hair on his left eye, Sasuke turned to face her.

"I'm going to re-open the Konoha Police Station that my family used to be responsible for."

Sakura blinked. Considering there were no Uchiha besides himself to take on that assignment, surely it must include the recruitment, training, and installation of a police force with others, too. That was no small task.

"D-does that mean you're staying?" She asked, cutting to the point.

"We're appointing Tenzo to be the Chief of Police," Sasuke answered. "But yes."

Sakura's shoulders relaxed from tension she did not realize she had. It wasn't just tension from the moment, but tension from three years of waiting for his return. Overwhelmed by the suddenness of this news, she could barely process it, but finally grinned.

"Good," she said. Then, quieter, she added, "Finally."

"Aa." Sasuke was inclined to agree.

"Good luck," she said, sincerely, then she bowed to Kakashi and departed.

As soon she was out of sight, out of earshot, she couldn't help but squeal and cry in excitement. Finally, finally, Sasuke was _home._

.

.

.

Sasuke had always been pragmatic, and whether it was a gift or curse, he had learned a long time ago how to compartmentalize between what he felt and what he did. Atonement for his international crimes required prostrating himself, his family name, and his pride. It was often a _very _bitter pill to swallow. Yet he learned one, critically important lesson during his traveling: it was worth it. Owning the guilt, apologizing for the crimes, and committing to whatever assistance was needed, was worth it. It was the only way to alleviate the weight of shame on his shoulders, which had become too heavy a burden to bear.

Making amends to those he knew personally was far more difficult. In his pragmatic mind, he had a list of those he'd caused harm. It churned his stomach how the only people who loved him were the same people at the top of his list.

.

.

As a child, Sasuke had limited respect for Kakashi, and never once perceived him as a fatherly figure. Looking back on it though, he remembered Kakashi sealing the curse mark, training him in lightning-style jutsu to help protect him, and being vulnerable, pleading with him to see that revenge was not the only path he could take. Sasuke understood now that while he'd been busily rejecting Kakashi, Kakashi had been consistently investing in him.

One night, after a particularly grueling day spent in endless hours of paperwork to make the Konoha Police Force reinstatement official, Sasuke lost his temper. He growled, crumpled a few particularly agitating budget projections, and burnt them to a crisp with a signature Uchiha fire-style jutsu.

From the other side of the room, Kakashi had simply chuckled. "The Great Uchiha Sasuke, legendary sannin, a shinobi recognized by The Sage of Six Paths himself: defeated by financial summaries and permit applications."

At first annoyed, Sasuke threw him a pointed glare. But it wasn't mockery in Kakashi's stone gray eyes; it was pride. Perhaps from exhaustion, or having his ego currently wounded already, or maybe because he'd often reflected on Itachi's memories, some in which his elder brother had discerned it was Kakashi looking out for him, but Sasuke finally sighed.

Astute as he was, Kakashi noticed the abrupt change in attitude. He said nothing, but lifted one brow.

"I was too selfish to realize what you meant, when you said you'd lost everyone you loved, too. That's why they put me on your team, wasn't it?"

Kakashi hummed. "The Third never said it directly, but it was assumed it had more to do than just my sharingan."

"You lost your entire team. When you found a new one, I almost took them from you, again."

This time, Kakashi was quiet for a few moments. Both of them had been orphan children; it was understood that by saying 'your team', what he really meant was 'your family.' Eventually, Kakashi answered. "That's not how I see it."

Sasuke didn't know what he meant, but he didn't know how to ask.

"Those who were responsible for your clan's massacre almost took _you_ from my team."

_From my family_, went unsaid. Unable to help it, the stern expression Sasuke wore so well, faltered.

"Don't apologize to me, Sasuke," Kakashi said, honestly. "You may need to make amends with your teammates, but not to me."

Too startled to speak, Sasuke could do only one thing. He bowed to Kakashi, in a manner no different than a long time ago, when he bowed to his father.

Kakashi waved at him dismissively, no doubt a smile under his mask. "Just finish your budget projections without burning down my office."

.

.

As it turned out, Naruto would not allow him to apologize, either. After a particularly brutal round of sparring, both of them limped in pain as they walked back toward the village in their usual chatter. Usual chatter being Naruto's endless rants at whatever excited, confused, or infuriated him in the course of the last few days. As they headed in the direction of Naruto's new favorite dining spot, they passed the quiet river outside of the academy. As a young child, Sasuke would sit out on the dock, alone, and Naruto would walk by, alone. Only sometimes did they catch each other's gaze, and never did one of them initiate conversation. Back then, they were too young, too stupid, to acknowledge each other. But they had always acknowledged each other's pain.

Even though Naruto was in the middle of explaining something, Sasuke interrupted him.

"Naruto."

Naruto frowned at his rudeness and prepared to throw a sucker punch toward his teammate, but for all his foolishness, he was keen on a few things. One of those things was the varying moods of Uchiha Sasuke.

"What?" Naruto asked, piercing cerulean eyes.

"Thank you," Sasuke said, the words feeling foreign as he said them. "I know that it cost you."

Vague as it was, Naruto understood. "It didn't cost me anything. You're here, after all, aren't you?"

Not for lack of trying, that was certain. Sasuke looked to the empty dock at the river's edge.

When Naruto saw what caught his attention, he smiled with only the barest hint of grief. "We didn't know better back then. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Sasuke wasn't sure if that was possible, but the truth was, he appreciated the sentiment.

.

.

It wasn't a list that Sasuke actually had put ink to paper to, but it was just as real to him. There was only one name left. For some reason, it was the one he struggled with the most.

.

.

Even though Sasuke was no longer on probation, their team continued to gather each week for dinner, rotating whoever would host and cook. It didn't go unnoticed why Naruto and Sai had offered to relieve Sakura of her turn in the rotation, reciting "how busy" she was with her "unpredictable" hospital responsibilities. When she challenged their intentions, they stuck to their story; but when she turned to Sasuke, he looked as unimpressed with their lies as she did.

"Fine," she seethed, not half as upset as she feigned. "You all can do the cooking for me. Far be it from me to insist on participating in a traditional gender role."

Of course, Sai took a beating after making some sort of offensive remark on what other traditional gender role expectations she'd failed to meet.

When it was Sasuke's turn to cook and host, he found an excuse to look into his mother's old recipe book, to take out more plates and bowls than he'd ever needed to own as a child, and to consider what it was like to hear so many voices in the Uchiha compound. Though he hadn't been complicit in removing Sakura from the roster, he wasn't unhappy about the increased frequency that it was his turn to host.

After an ordinary meal on what was becoming an ordinary occasion, Sakura and Sai cleaned up and did the dishes together, while Naruto and Sasuke stood in the other room and shared a private conversation. It was uncharacteristic for Naruto to be soft-spoken; Sakura was able to guess that it was intentional and couldn't help but try to listen in. With the running water, though, it was impossible.

As Sai finished toweling the last plate dry, he clasped his hands together. "Alright, Ugly. I have a new idea for a drawing; I'm going to head out."

"Who knew dishes could be so inspiring?" She joked.

"Not the dishes," Sai said. "Something Ino said to me earlier that I've been thinking about."

"Oh," Sakura said, surprised. "What was it?"

"I'm not sure how to explain it. That's why I plan to draw it." He tapped her shoulder, nodding goodbye as he did it.

She wondered if he would show it to her once he finished as she dried her hands.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, I'm going now," Naruto called from the other room. "See you next week!"

Sakura started to head toward the front room, but Naruto was already heading out the door with Sai, so she called out, too. "Good night. Tell Hinta-chan I said hello."

That was odd of Naruto, as well. She stood at the door frame into the front room while Sasuke closed the door behind Naruto.

"Guess I should be going, too," Sakura walked toward the coat hanger where her purse and rain jacket hung. As she slipped on her coat, hearing thunder rumbling softly in the distance, Sasuke walked over and reached for his own.

"Do you have a few more moments?" He asked.

Sakura looked at him. This, too, was odd. She swallowed the concern that she felt. "Yes."

Sasuke put on his coat. He went to the front door, and opened it for her. Sakura stepped outside and noticed while the sun hadn't set just yet, summer storm clouds had gathered and darkened the sky. It was starting to rain.

"This way," Sasuke said, and as Sakura walked next to him, he took her to an area of the Uchiha compound that she had never been to before. It started to rain harder, but neither of them picked up the pace.

Sasuke led them down a street he hadn't yet renovated, and stopped them in front of one of the abandoned homes.

"What's this?" Sakura asked.

At first Sasuke didn't answer. As it started to pour harder, he finally went toward the front door, taking out a key ring from his pocket to open it.

"My home when I was a child," he finally answered.

The front door seemed to creak and struggle as he opened it and stepped inside. Sakura felt frozen in place. _Is this the first time he's come back here? Why is he bringing me?_

Taking a quiet, deep breath, Sakura followed him inside.

The living room was untouched; old, dusted, and dim. Unhidden pain was so apparent on Sasuke's face that Sakura's heart sank. Tears brimmed in the corner of her eyes and she hastily wiped them away.

They took off their shoes at the door. Sakura wondered what it would have looked like fifteen years ago; full, bright, warm, and alive. It was none of those things now.

Sasuke started to walk down a hall, and she quietly followed him, afraid that to make even the simplest of noises would somehow disrupt the sacredness of this place.

There were several rooms with doors closed. At the end, a room with double doors, which Sasuke hesitantly placed his hand on, pausing to open it. With pain-filled resolve, he slid open the doors. It felt like yesterday that he witnessed his parents' bodies on the floor, warm blood seeping from their wounds.

When they entered, it became apparent to Sakura that it was the master bedroom. _Sasuke's parents room?_ She wondered.

Sasuke went to the dresser on the right side of the room. It had a vanity mirror that was caked with dust and spiderwebs. He loosened the first drawer and pulled out an old velvet jewelry box from inside of it. When he opened it, Sakura was surprised to see a plethora of silver and gems. It was a miracle nobody had broken into this place and robbed any precious items. Perhaps the terror of the Uchiha massacre had discouraged even the most desperate of criminals. Of all the precious jewels, Sasuke searched for one in particular. He pulled out a thin, silver bracelet with a platinum bar.

Sasuke rested the bracelet in his palm. In the platinum bar was a single, small diamond. It was chipped, though. The corner of the diamond had a chunk missing, disfiguring the cut.

"My father brought this home to my mother after he had left for a few weeks. They had a serious argument. I was too young to understand what was going on. My mother was so upset, even as a child I knew not to ask her more than once what happened. When I asked Itachi why father wasn't home, he said, sometimes people do unforgivable things to the ones they are supposed to care for the most. I don't know what unforgivable thing he did to her. When he finally came home, he gave this to her. He asked her if she would still wear it, even if the diamond was chipped."

Sasuke looked up from the bracelet to look at Sakura, but she was nervous to meet his gaze. She studied the imperfect stone.

"I realize now that he couldn't ask for her forgiveness. He didn't deserve it."

With hesitation, she wondered if Sasuke was referring to the unforgivable things he himself had done to her. She swallowed hard, willing herself not to let any tears form.

"When I first learned the truth about Itachi, I was blinded by hatred. I couldn't handle the pain. I didn't want to destroy Konoha. I wanted to destroy how much I hurt. I didn't want to kill you. I wanted to kill whatever, whoever, was a reminder of that pain."

Sakura could no longer help it. A single tear slipped from her eye, and it slowly made its way down her cheek, to her chin, and then fell to the floor. "I always thought nothing you did outside of Konoha would matter, so long as one day, you came home."

But it did matter. He almost _killed_ her. If it hadn't been for Naruto's surprise entry, right now she would be dead. What did her love for him matter if she would no longer exist because of it?

Sasuke clasped the bracelet, and then extended it toward her. He was quiet. "I can't ask for your forgiveness."

Another tear escaped and afraid of how many more would, Sakura bit down hard on her lip. There was a time when she would have given him anything - _everything_. Now, she didn't know what she had to give.

"It may be chipped, but that's still too precious," Sakura whispered. It belonged to his mother, after all. There was no way she could accept it.

Sasuke opened his palm, revealing the jewel again. "I know it's value."

In her familiar habit, she grasped her hands, straining her pointer finger, and healing it with chakra. Then, with a slight tremble, she lifted her hand to Sasuke's.

Sasuke looked into her face. Rain still lingered on her damp, dripping hair. Her porcelain white skin seemed even softer in the dim lights. Her lips were slightly parted, from shock, from her slight tremble, he wasn't sure. Eventually, she looked up at him, her own pain no longer hidden in her vibrant, emerald eyes. It was somehow the very same look, and such a different look, as the one in her eyes the night he left Konoha.

Sasuke gently took the bracelet and wrapped it around Sakura's extended wrist. With assistance from her second hand, he held her wrist as he clasped it together. For a moment, he didn't let go. Sakura didn't pull away, either.

It was the first time Sasuke realized of all the places he wanted to be, it was here, in Konoha, with his team. With Sakura. But he remembered his conversation with Naruto after dinner, and let go of her hand.

"I'm leaving for the Village Hidden in the Clouds."

Sakura's eyes widened. "What?"

"Naruto secured permission from the Raikage. I'm going to spend some time with their own internal police force to see how it operates."

She remembered the private conversation after dinner. No wonder Naruto had left in such a rush.

"T-that's … that's good. That's what you want, right?" She was uncertain.

"Yes. It's a chance to learn what I couldn't from my father."

Between this admission, the gift of the bracelet, and the news of Sasuke leaving again, Sakura was quickly losing grasp of controlling her emotions.

"For how long?" Sakura asked.

"Three months."

Her shoulders dropped. He had only been back for a few weeks, and now he was already leaving again. "It feels like you just got here."

Sasuke looked at her hands. She held the bracelet between her fingers, caressing the cold jewelry.

"Sakura."

She looked up, wide-eyed and sad.

"Every time I leave, the plan includes coming back."

Her trembling lips turned into a cautious smile. "Is that a promise?"

"Yes."

"Okay," she sighed, not unhappily. "Good."

Sasuke closed the velvet box and returned it to the top drawer, closing it gently. She may have been imagining it, but as he led the way back through the home, his shoulders seemed less heavy. They reached the front room and put their shoes back on. Outside, it continued to pour. The next crack of thunder was so close it shook the framework of the house.

"When do you leave?" She asked as Sasuke opened the front door.

"Tomorrow afternoon."

It was as soon as she feared. "Good luck, then, Sasuke."

He thanked her. Then they left, heading in separate directions. Sakura, heading back to the village to her own home, and Sasuke, to the other side of the compound in his new home. Even with the storm, they walked slowly.

The feelings that Sakura had tried to suppress while in front of Sasuke came to an abrupt head. With no one watching now, she cried. That he would willfully gift her with jewelry that belonged to his mother. That he brought her into his forsaken childhood home to retrieve it. That he planned to leave, promising to return. Though the last several weeks had been awkward and tumultuous at times, at least Sasuke had been home. They were still working to establish normalcy; and now he was leaving again. She could barely stand the idea of him walking from the village path into the forest to head to the hidden cloud village. As she envisioned his departing figure, as she thought of the next few months without seeing him, she suddenly lost her self-control. She spun back around, facing Sasuke's back, watching the Uchicha crest centered sturdily between his shoulder blades as it moved further and further away.

"Sasuke-kun," she called. It was a familiar plea in a familiar scene. He stopped walking, hand in his pocket, and turned around.

Lightning struck nearby as Sakura half-ran to close the distance between them. If Naruto could hug Sasuke in greeting, then shouldn't she be able to hug him when he was departing? They were both his teammates. This was the logic she used to rationalize the gesture, though she knew Naruto's brotherly love for Sasuke was a far cry from her romantic love toward him. Forfeiting her fear and shyness, she embraced him.

It had been several years since she'd been pressed this close to him. Now, though, they weren't children. Sakura's soft breasts between them, Sasuke's taller height, and both of their developed muscles were reminders of how much time had passed.

Sasuke released his hand from his pocket and wrapped his arm around her, too. His reciprocation encouraged Sakura; she exhaled, clutched the fabric of his shirt, and tucked her head into his chest. Sasuke's arm around her felt safer than even she had dreamed, and his hand holding her waist kept her steady in a way that told her she hadn't realized she felt unstable. When she feared if it had been long enough to where it was time to pull away, she then felt Sasuke's chin rest alongside her neck.

_She even smells like cherry blossoms in the rain, _Sasuke thought.

They held each other, unconcerned by the pouring rain, thunder, and lightning that surrounded them. For several moments, it was as though the rest of the world stopped being there, as they made up for the time stolen and lost.

When Sakura began to lift her head, Sasuke's only hand moved upward, and he held the base of her neck as she looked up to him.

They stared at each other. Sakura struggled to find the right words; as a child, she was able to scream them, boast of them. Now, though, she felt like she was in uncharted territory.

"L-last time you left, you said…" She wasn't brave enough to finish the thought. The last time he left she asked if she could go with him, and he had said maybe next time.

"You're too important here," he said, knowing her thoughts. "Even if I do want you to come with me, it would be selfish to take you away from your responsibilities at the hospital."

Sakura stared in shock, unable to think, breathe, or speak. _Did he just say he would want me to come with him? _His old, familiar smirk adorned his lips. As she fought for composure, Sasuke released her.

Then, like the time before, Sasuke lifted his hand to her forehead, and gently poked her. She had no idea why he did it or what it meant, but instinctively she knew, it was special, it was special for her, only her, and she loved it.

"See you in the fall, Sakura."

Then he tucked his hand back into his pocket and walked away.

* * *

"That's when I told her, "I love you, girl,  
But I'm not the answer for the questions that you still have.'"

_Lyrics of Savior by Rise Against_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hi everyone! Thank you for your reads, follows, favorites, and/or reviews. Your honest feedback is always welcome. Slight Post-699 canon diverge in the timeline and Sakura's back story, but nothing radical. Of course, I do not own or have any rights to the Narutoverse or its characters.

Lastly, I feel as though it is rude to not put an A/N thanking you all at the end of a chapter, but I don't want it to "ruin the moment"; that being said, in advance, thank you!

* * *

**Something Left**

Chapter Four

"One thousand miles away, there's nothing left to say

But so much left that I don't know

We never had a choice,

This world has too much noise

It takes me under, it takes me under once again"

_Lyrics of Savior, Rise Against_

* * *

_Ten Weeks Later_

It had been another long day, immediately followed by another long night, but Sakura didn't mind. She opted to stay late and work on data analysis even though it was something an intern nurse could have started for her. It was rewarding to see a few positive results of their new methods for addressing post-traumatic stress symptoms in the children exposed to violence. Disregarding the clock, she lost track of time until her stomach growled angrily, reminding her it was well past time for dinner. Tidying up what would have to wait until tomorrow, she put her black ankle boots back on, hung up her white coat, and turned off the lights. She made sure to say goodnight to the remaining staff before leaving through the personnel-only doors.

Cold wind blew as soon as she stepped outside, tossing half her hair out from the loose clip she had used to keep it pinned. Growing it out longer had pro's and con's. Earlier in the day when she'd left her home it was still warm in the sunlight, but as autumn arrived the temperature rapidly dropped at night. Regretting her day's wardrobe selection, a thin black, silken top, she crossed her bare arms and started the walk home.

Her vision was no better or worse than most, but she hadn't seen him until she was only a few yards away. She had been absorbed in her thoughts on research and what to eat, and he must have repressed his chakra signature. It was Sasuke, standing just out of reach from the lantern's light, at the end of the street. Her breath caught at the sight of him. _He's home._

Sasuke had surely sensed her, but he didn't turn until he heard her approach. His hair had grown even longer; she wondered if he preferred to keep the Rinnegan covered.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun," she greeted, a smile escaping as soon as she said his name. "You're back early?"

It was impossible to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"I got back last night," he said. "The altitude is less bothersome here."

Though she knew from her studies that usually one adjusted to altitude sickness within the first few days, she lifted her hand, activating her green, healing chakra, an unspoken offer to assist. She was curious about the real reason he returned earlier than planned, but couldn't find the nerve to challenge him on it.

He shook his head. "I'm alright now."

As her chakra retreated, he saw the thin, silver bracelet on her wrist. It was the one he had given to her. Sakura noticed his eyes on the bracelet, and she fought not to blush. She wrapped her fingers around her wrist, holding the silver in what had become a familiar habit, and stepped up to him.

"What brings you here?" On this side street behind the hospital, there wasn't much to do, nor many establishments to visit.

Sasuke hesitated briefly. Then he said, "Naruto said you finished work at sundown."

_He's been waiting for me?_ It was well past sundown. Sakura tucked wind-tossed hair behind her ears, attempting to be nonchalant despite the instant flood of exhilaration she felt. "I do, usually, but sometimes I get caught up in paperwork. I'm sorry, have you been waiting?"

He didn't answer.

Sakura bit her lip, hiding a grin, and decided to help smooth over the silence. "I'm starving. Are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"Have dinner with me?" She asked.

"Aa."

"Well, I have plenty of tonkatsu at home, but we both know my cooking is subpar."

He shook his head though. "That would be fine."

"Okay," she said, surprised he agreed. "There's probably only a few places left open, anyway."

They started to walk together, heading into a direction that wasn't familiar to Sasuke. He realized he wasn't sure where she lived, what her home looked like, or who else would be there. If she still lived with her parents, or if she had a roommate, he couldn't remember.

"How was your time in the Village Hidden in the Clouds?" She asked, holding her arms, boot heels clicking on the cobblestone.

"Productive," he said.

_Naturally, that would be his first priority to describe,_ she thought.

"That's good. So, you learned what you'd been hoping to?"

"They do things differently than we would here, but it was still worth the visit."

When she asked him for various details, he obliged. Even though it was cold, Sakura felt warmed by the steady conversation. After a few moments, when she didn't even realize she was rubbing her arms, Sasuke paused mid-step and looked to her. There were many things about the Uchiha clan that were tainted; the few things that were not corrosive or painful had become some of the most important things to him. Conservative values, polite manners, proper etiquette- the values his parents had instilled in him even from a young age were all that he had left of them that he could honor. With decent skill for a one-handed man, he pulled off his jacket, and offered it to her.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. She fumbled through an attempt to politely dismiss it, but he just stared at her.

"T-thank you," she finally said, taking it, and carefully putting it on. It was warm from being on him first, and she immediately felt comforted.

He had long sleeves on, and was not concerned about the loss.

They continued their walk, and Sakura kept prompting him with questions, genuinely curious about the endeavor. For as long as she could remember, there hadn't been a police force in Konoha. It made sense that now was the time to reestablish it: with peace between the major villages, there shouldn't be as much need for a large ninja force. Creating a police force would provide a transition for retiring ninja. When Sakura said as much, Sasuke nodded.

"It's a way for the Uchiha to partner with the village."

_Instead of the alternative_, Sakura knew was what he actually meant. There was only one Uchiha left, but there was so much history and expectations attached to the name.

"It's wonderful," she said again. "It's how it should be, yeah?"

He was in agreement.

They arrived at a small apartment complex that was filled with superfluous greenery and trees between each unit. The buildings were old, with dark wood and pale walls. Each unit had a front porch or balcony, and most of them hosted additional plant-life.

"It's not much," Sakura said, looking at the old buildings. It was not half as nice as even the simplest home in the Uchiha compound she'd seen. "But it's one of the few places that wasn't decimated by Pain's attack on the village. I wanted to be somewhere that hadn't been destroyed and rebuilt."

Then she directed her eyes up to what must have been the third floor. "We could take the stairs, or…"

But they were ninja. Sakura leapt to the top floor of what must have been her unit's front porch, and Sasuke followed. There were no lights on inside, and he was relieved that he wouldn't have to make small talk or share company with someone he hardly knew.

The porch was clean and mostly empty, with only a few potted plants and a tan macrame hammock. Sakura took out her keys from her pocket and unlocked the door, turned on the lights, and let him in.

Her apartment was also tidy with minimal decor. Based on her workload from today, he wondered if she was really even home that often. The floors were hardwood and she had a variety of modern white and gray rugs throughout the space. The living room had a large, leather gray couch with two throw blankets tossed across it. A few open medical textbooks and candles were on the coffee table. The living room walls had several bookshelves, and it alternated between a sense of order and structure in their arrangement, but then a few haphazard books tossed back in. Sasuke guessed that she pulled from them often.

"My 'graduation' gift from being Tsunade-sama's apprentice," Sakura clarified. "All her books!"

The only artwork and other splashes of color besides the books came from abstract art in blues, grays, burgundy, and silver. She had two photographs framed in the hallway that led to the rest of the apartment; a kitchen to the left, and presumably her bedroom and bathroom to the right. One frame held the original photo of Team Seven, and the other was from Naruto's wedding. It was Naruto, Hinata, Kakashi, Sai, Tenzo, and her. He hadn't been there for that.

Her bedroom door was cracked but he didn't pry and look in, just followed her to the kitchen. Fresh fruit and vegetables were in a bowl on the counter, accompanied by more medical magazines and an open journal with sprawling case notes and math equations. It appeared that all she did was study, work, and work more.

"It will take a few moments for me to heat it up. Do you want something to drink? I think I only have water, tea, and some red wine."

"Water is fine," he said, taking a seat on a bar stool at the counter.

Sakura poured them two glasses of water, handing him one of them, before she turned her attention to the meal preparation. As they concluded conversation on the police force and his travels, Sakura put out two plates of cucumber salad, tonkatsu, and white rice.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," she smiled.

She noticed that Sasuke had become very adept at using only one hand to eat. They ate in a companionable silence, both of them hungry and grateful to finally have a full meal.

"Can I ask you something?" Sakura asked, scooping seconds onto his plate without asking if he wanted more first.

He looked at her. The 'yes' was in his eyes.

"Why was Tenzo appointed Chief of Police instead of you?"

He didn't pause at the question as she feared he might. "Kakashi offered it to me, but I said no."

"How come?"

"The police force failed the last time the Uchiha were in leadership," he said. "It's better if I'm not in charge."

Sakura pushed rice around with her chopsticks. She knew it was his father who had been the Chief of Police from something Kakashi had once said. "Is that what you really want, though?"

"Yes." Sasuke was honest. "Not being in charge gives me more freedom."

_More freedom?_ Sakura thought. It dawned on her that 'more freedom' was less responsibility and probably meant the freedom to travel, to leave Konoha, to come and go as he pleased. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but while he was here, she was determined to be present and enjoy it.

Sasuke watched her closely. This Sakura, now an accomplished kunoichi in her twenties, was a far cry from the twelve-year-old child he had previously known so well. It was much more difficult to discern her thoughts when she didn't wear them so visibly or shout them so loudly, but he was still able to see the way she processed his words. He knew that she was upset, but she seemed to let it go by the time she took another bite of food.

"Good," she said, and she meant it. "As long as that's what you want."

They'd spent the entire time talking about his travels and his plans. He finished the additional bites that Sakura had put onto his plate, and put his chopsticks down.

"What about the hospital?" He asked.

Sakura looked up.

"Is that what you want to be doing?" He clarified.

"Oh yes," she said immediately. "It's not what I'd ever planned to do, I sort of stumbled into it when I asked Tsunade-sama to mentor me, you know, a-after you and then Naruto had left. But I love it. It sounds silly, but it feels like I was born for it. I have nothing special about me, like the two of you, but I had excellent chakra control. That's all I had. Turns out, that's all I needed."

He had a feeling that was the understatement of the year. It took much more than excellent chakra control to become a new sannin-level kunoichi capable of the same jutsu and strength, if not more, than the previous Hokage. Yet Sakura was being honest, humbly finishing the rest of her food. She placed her chopsticks down, too.

"You're in charge of a clinic?"

Sakura nodded. "My primary responsibility is to be the co-director for the hospital, but the clinic is a special project I oversee. We had to secure the funding and recruit from other villages, pulling from various other disciplines at first, which was a tedious process. But now we're mostly stable on our own."

"What does it do?" If Sasuke remembered correctly, it had something to do with children.

"It's the Konoha Children's Mental Health Clinic."

He hadn't known that. Stretching himself to ask the same sort of questions that she had just been asking him, he asked, "Why did you choose that?"

Sakura stared at him. At first he thought his question offended her, but when she looked down, for the first time all night appearing shy, he realized that wasn't quite the reason she had been thrown off. "I- I thought that'd be obvious."

He put more thought into it. A children's mental health clinic. Then he realized: a place where children who were traumatized, hurt, or neglected could receive help? It was the sort of place that did not exist when he was a child. Nor Naruto, or Kakashi, or Sai - all of the people whom she cared for.

"Oh."

Sakura was serious, the sort of serious he was still becoming accustomed to seeing in her. "There are thousands of shinobi who were killed in the war, so most of what we do is grief support for children who lost their parents. But I've been researching and developing treatments for post-traumatic stress. That's why I stayed late tonight." She looked over at the notes scribbled onto the journal; it was from this morning's new ideas and conclusions. "That's what I'm always working on."

Sasuke was quiet for a long time. It was not what he expected to hear from her, yet it didn't surprise him, either. Sakura loved her teammates deeply; well, she had loved him deeply. It made sense that she would choose to channel her selflessness and compassion into productive work.

Sakura reached for his plate, and he presumed she was about to get up and do dishes.

"Tell me about it." It had taken self-coaching, but he finally forced himself to speak. "The work."

Her eyes lit up. "A-alright."

Sakura let go of the plate she had been about to remove. Then she talked: she told him about the first few patients she had, children who had suffered tremendously, and explained things he'd never known about. It wasn't their emotional experiences she detailed, but the neurobiological ones. She talked about different parts of the brain, "the old brain" in particular, hormones, physiological responses to triggers, adrenal glands, and other things. She explained methods of healing that she'd been trying, most of which were unsuccessful. She was not disheartened by how many methods did not work. It didn't stop her from searching for new ideas and trying new things; what she was working on now seemed promising.

"You could come by and visit some time," Sakura offered. "They love when shinobi visit. I bet they'd love to hear about the police force. It might give them something to dream about becoming one day, you know?"

He thought about this. Instead of the Uchiha dominating the police force in what had become more akin to a cult determined to overthrow the village's structure, the new police force would be open for anyone to pursue. Today's children could look forward to joining it, instead of fearing it. While he could not imagine himself actually doing the talking, he appreciated the idea. So, he nodded.

Sakura smiled. The smile stayed on her face as she finally cleared the plates. When she caught sight of the time, she cursed. "Oh Kami, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I talked for so long."

He looked at the clock. It was half-past midnight. "Do you work tomorrow?"

"Dawn to dusk," she answered. It sounded like that was the usual. "But then I'm off for the weekend. It's four days on, three days off."

He stood up, and though he didn't say the words, she knew that he meant to leave. She walked him back to her front door.

"Thank you for dinner."

"Of course," she said. "Anytime."

It was a habit to say that, but when Sasuke looked at her, his farewell in his mismatched eyes, she knew that she meant it. When he left, leaping from her porch back onto the street, she wondered if he would have stayed longer if she hadn't been the one to mention the time. She reluctantly closed the door and went back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up.

She noticed dark material hanging across one of the stools. It was the cloak that Sasuke had lent her. She felt a small pang of guilt for forgetting to return it to him, but she couldn't help but smile at the memory of him offering it to her, of his warmth that radiated off of it and onto her. If it felt terrible when he was gone, it was tremendously worth it once he was home.

.

.

.

Being invited over to Naruto and Hinata's shared home was something the other Team Seven members were still acclimating to, Sasuke realized. It wasn't just him who found it odd. Before, Naruto was a slob in a small apartment, eating leftover ramen for breakfast, wearing pajamas all day if he wanted. Now he was in a large estate with his wife, with staff to keep up the manicured lawns and indoor responsibilities.

Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi, Sai, and Tenzo had been invited for brunch on Saturday morning. ("Look, we'll spar afterwards, teme," Naruto had promised to secure an acceptance from the uncertain Uchiha). The seven of them sat around the large breakfast table, a table that previously wouldn't have even fit in the largest room of Naruto's old apartment.

Conversation ebbed and flowed. What started as quiet and polite talk eventually erupted into laughter and hectic commotion. Tenzo and Sakura had a healthy debate over the most effective management styles for training new team members. Sai offended Naruto, obliviously, and Naruto profusely lectured him. Hinata used this opportunity to ask Kakashi a thousand one questions about what the responsibilities of a Hokage entailed, curious as to what her own future as a Hokage's spouse might consist of. Sasuke was content to sit and listen, and that was his original intention. But they included him, asked for his input, sought his affirmation, and requested his opinion on various matters.

"Look Sai, even the teme knows better than that. Just ask him."

"Oh, I don't know. Sasuke, do you really think that would work with the recruits?"

"Naruto-kun knows he can rely on Sasuke's perspective for those more difficult decisions. What would you do, Sasuke?"

He found himself participating, regardless of his initial plan to remain quiet. It was not unlike the physical therapy he'd done during probation; the more he engaged, the more he practiced, the more normal it felt.

Sakura picked up the bowl of cherry tomatoes and gestured toward Sasuke with it. He nodded, and as she passed it to him, his fingers brushed against hers. Her lips quirked upward, but it was impossible to tell whether it was because of his touch or a humorous moment in Naruto's outrageous story.

.

.

.

"Huh? Seriously?" Naruto stood still in a surprised stupor.

"Only if you want," Kakashi said dismissively from behind his desk. "I can assign it to another team if you thi—"

"No," Naruto sputtered, shock finally dissipating, his surprised 'oh' replaced with an ecstatic grin. "We'll do it."

Then he looked to his two best friends beside him. Sakura, half-exhausted and half-alert with her white coat, pink hair pinned neatly back, and stacked books tucked to her chest. Sasuke, as aloof and stern as usual, with the exception of a slight glimmer in his one onyx orb that only those in the room would know how to decipher.

"You want to, right?" Naruto looked to his old teammates.

Sakura laughed, her excitement bubbling over. "Of course."

Sasuke took his hand out from his pocket, adrenaline already coursing through him, and he nodded.

"Good," Kakashi said simply, continuing the charade that this wasn't as big of a deal as it was for all of them. "Read the files and pack tonight. You'll depart at sunrise tomorrow."

Naruto tossed an excited fist into the air. "Yes! Team Seven is going to kick ass. Believe it."

It would be their first mission together since they were twelve-year-old genin. In that moment, Sasuke realized it felt as though a _lifetime_ had passed. Yet, Naruto's fox-cheeked eagerness, and Sakura's pleased anticipation, were both familiar sights to him.

What was unfamiliar far outnumbered what was familiar, though. When Kakashi stood up, Naruto was as tall as their old sensei. The dobe had not only the height of a man, but the trimmed blonde beard and low-toned chuckle of one, too. He radiated sincere confidence, the sort that had been impossible when he'd been trying so hard to prove his worth as a child. Sakura had the same self-confidence, he noticed; her relaxed shoulders, easy smile, and gleaming emerald orbs held nothing but determination. As much as Naruto had become a man, Sakura had become a woman; sharp cheekbones had replaced any of her childish features, her scoop-neck blouse revealed supple cleavage, and her feminine curves were obvious even in a white coat.

It was more than just their matured looks and dispositions, though. Sasuke felt something else unfamiliar about being assigned this mission: his steadfast assurance in their cohesive capability to succeed. Not only that, but his sense of belonging within their cohesive unit - rather, their team.

_My team_, he thought.

After the mission, when the three of them returned covered in sweat, grime, and the exhausted grins of success, he admitted to himself that he found both the familiar and unfamiliar oddly comforting.

.

.

The year went by as Team Seven fell into a new routine, both together and apart. Kakashi was overwhelmed with work, rebuilding the village, and developing new diplomatic relations with each village; Naruto was stretched thin on missions, his new role as a husband, helping Kakashi, and studying for his dream to become the next Hokage; Sakura remained busier than ever at the hospital and clinic, but dedicated more time to training, resting only when it was absolutely necessary; Sai chose to enlist into ANBU, trusting the special forces now that Danzo and Root had been eliminated, and spent any free time that he could spare with Ino; Tenzo was plenty busy with his new role as Chief of Police, which became more busy, not less, as the force grew; and Sasuke was finally busy, too, leading S-ranked missions that required his visual prowess, renovating the Uchiha compound, working alongside Tenzo, and traveling as often as he could.

Though Friday evenings were meant for having dinner together, it was often a commitment impossible for every member to join. Only once in a blue moon were all of them in attendance.

On a cold, wintery night, a few of them assembled in Sakura's living room after dinner. Sasuke sat by the fireplace and tended to the fire, Naruto and Sakura shared the couch, each of them stretched out from opposite sides, and Sai sat cross-legged on the chase lounge.

"I have something to announce," Sai said.

The others turned to him in surprise. Though his social awkwardness had improved drastically over the years, there were still quirks. This seemed to be one of them.

"What is it, Sai?" Sakura prompted, a crooked smile.

"I'm going to ask Ino if she will marry me."

Sakura's mouth fell open and Naruto hollered, straightening up. "Really!?"

"Do you all approve?" Sai asked, hardly giving them time to process it.

Sasuke didn't answer. His opinion should hardly matter to the other dark-haired ninja.

"Of course, Sai," Sakura and Naruto both replied.

"You are Ino's best female friend, right?" Sai asked his pink-haired teammate. Then he looked at the others. "And you two are my closest male friends. I read that you are the people who should help me plan how to propose to her."

Sasuke slowly shook his head. He looked like he would rather do anything else besides that. Naruto, however, happily joined in on the conversation. He rambled off a list of obnoxious, ludicrous, and wild ideas. Sai just stared at him, nodding every once in awhile, pitching in with other things that he read. Though Sai was often expressionless, in this conversation he looked overwhelmed.

Finally, Sakura interrupted. "Okay, stop it."

They all looked at her.

"Forget what you're 'supposed' to do, what the books say, what anyone else says," she advised. "Don't make it complicated."

"But it's supposed to special. It's supposed to be the best moment of her life."

Sakura straightened up, snuggling the blanket around her even tighter. "It will be special, Sai. But if it's the best moment of her life, then it's all really downhill from there, isn't it?"

He didn't quite understand her sarcasm, so she pressed on. "Just think of something that you love doing with her, or she loves to do with you, and ask her the next time it happens."

"You mean, like during sex?"

Naruto guffawed, but Sakura just chuckled. "Sure. If that's when you feel closest to her."

Sai thought about this. "Sex is great," he admitted. "But I feel closest to her when she listens to me. When she waits for me to explain what I think. How she admires me, when I'm being honest, when I'm being myself. When she is herself, and honest with me, too, and I know that she trusts me."

Sakura settled back into the couch. "There you go. Just tell her that and then show her the ring. You're set."

Sai thought about this. He looked at Naruto, then to Sasuke. "Do you agree?"

It seemed he still wanted their permission, as the books had suggested.

"Sure," Naruto said, reflecting on his own proposal. "I guess that is pretty much how I asked Hinata-chan."

Sasuke internally groaned, but Sai looked at him, waiting for his reply, too. Knowing the man would not be capable of accepting this notion without his say, Sasuke finally nodded.

"Okay," Sai said, relieved. Then he jumped up. "I'm going to find her."

Sakura grinned as he scrambled to put on his shoes and winter coat. Then he left, presumably to propose, and she wondered if the next time she saw him and Ino, they'd be engaged.

Naruto looked to the clock. As soon as he saw the time, he jumped up, too. "Shit! I'm going to be late. I promised Hinata-chan I would come back with more firewood. We were almost out when I left."

"Take some of my mine so you don't have to stop anywhere else," Sakura offered.

"Oh, no I couldn't, Sakura-chan."

"I promise it's fine." Sakura stood up, regretfully releasing her warm blanket. She grabbed eight logs with ease from the closet beside Sasuke, and then handed them over to him once he'd put his shoes and coat on.

"Ah, thank you so much. You're a life-saver."

She squeezed his shoulder in farewell and he quickly left the apartment. When Sakura turned around, Sasuke was putting the fire iron back into its sheath.

"Do you have to go, too, or would you like a cup of coffee?" She asked.

He did not _have_ to go. He didn't want to leave, either. More often than not, he found himself avoiding the quiet solitude of the Uchiha compound. Or maybe, a small voice in his head whispered, preferring her company, instead.

"I don't have to go."

Sakura smiled and left for the kitchen to put on a fresh pot. When she came back five minutes later, she had two mugs, both hot with steam.

"Black, right?" She asked.

He nodded as he accepted the mug.

Sakura grabbed the blanket from the couch and placed it on the ground next to where Sasuke was seated. She joined him, both of them directly across from the fire, holding their mugs of hot coffee. Sasuke had the fire full and robust, and she soaked its warmth in, her cheeks flushed by the closeness of the flames.

"You always were better at building fires," she admitted.

"I was always better at everything," he countered.

Sakura laughed, recognizing his newly found sense of humor often included targeted jokes at not only Naruto, but her, too.

"I distinctly remember each of us being told to climb a tree with no hands, and you falling on your ass each time while I waved from above."

"Hn." She had a good point there.

They watched the flames for awhile, content to sit and stare, sipping coffee, relaxed in one another's company. To Sakura's surprise, Sasuke was the one who broke their silence.

"My parents had an arranged marriage."

She looked over to him, brows lifted, but remained quiet. Sasuke would share as much or as little as he wanted to.

"It wasn't uncommon for the Uchiha. Both of them came from more prestigious families. After Itachi was born, while they were still in the hospital with him, my father 'proposed' to her. He wanted her to know he chose her, and he wanted to know if she'd choose him, too."

When Sasuke didn't say any more for a moment, Sakura asked, "Did she?"

He nodded. Then, "She told Itachi and me that story many times."

"I don't blame her," Sakura said gently. "It's a beautiful proposal."

Belatedly, as if he needed to justify sharing this with her, he added, "I only remembered that now."

Sakura wondered how many memories were forgotten completely, lost forever, and how many were just repressed, waiting for triggers to bring them back to life. "Do you remember new things often?"

"I try to," was all he said.

When Sakura finished her coffee, it was as though it had the opposite effect. The warmth of the fire and sweet drink had drained her. She put the mug down at her side and leaned back, laying down on the shag rug and blanket. For awhile, Sasuke remained seated by her side, legs crossed.

"My parents met at the grocery market. My mother sold apples in the fall and pears in the spring, and my father would visit her every week once he figured out what day and time she would be there. He kept going back, asking all sorts of stupid, irrelevant questions about produce, until he gathered the nerve to ask her on a date. Later, after they'd been dating for a few years, he proposed outside of the grocery market. He told her even though it wasn't romantic, he wanted to ask her there, because from the first time he saw her through the windows, he knew he wanted to marry her."

Sasuke looked into the flames as he thought about Sakura's parents. He couldn't even picture them; surely, when they were children, they accompanied her to the academy. He couldn't remember seeing them though, and she rarely talked about them.

"Where are your parents?"

"They live in the Land of Fire," Sakura said, as though it was near, but she clearly didn't mean Konoha. "In a small town, Shirakawa. Luckily, they moved right before Pain's attack on the village."

"You never talk about them."

Sakura seemed to hesitate. "We're not very close."

He looked down at her, as if asking for more details.

These days it was rare for Sakura to appear timid with him, but she did now. "It never felt right, it doesn't feel right, complaining about my parents, when I at least have them."

Sasuke thought about this for awhile. Though he loved Itachi and his parents more than anyone or anything, he remembered constantly being jealous of his brother, upset at his father's detachment, and annoyed by his mother's inability to take him as seriously as she had considered Itachi. Back then, he complained about them, too.

Sasuke put his emptied mug down and moved to lie down, too. He tucked his one hand under his head and faced the ceiling.

"Complaining about the people you love is normal. Look at how often Naruto complains about me."

She laughed. "That's true."

Sensing that he was giving her permission to share about her own family, she explained. "They didn't want me to be a shinobi. I went to the registration for the academy on my own, without them. Of course, the village needed their permission, and they gave it, but they fought me every step of the way afterwards. They never approved. Every time I came home from a mission, injured or upset, it was proof to them. Proof that what I was doing was a mistake. That I wasn't good enough. I needed them to believe in me, to support me, but they didn't."

He remembered times as genin when Sakura was shy, reserved, and how she always held back. Even though she knew the basic skills, even when she was good at certain moves, she always froze during battles. Except for when she protected him during the Chunin Exams, she was often paralyzed, doubtful about herself. Sasuke wondered now if that self-doubt had actually been instilled by the doubt from her parents.

"What about now?" Now she was no failure.

"They much prefer medical ninjutsu to missions," she admitted. "And, in their own way, they've apologized for doubting me."

But it was too late, Sasuke sensed. A few more moments of quietness went by.

"You can talk about them," Sasuke told her. It didn't bother him.

Though they were both looking upward, he could see from the corner of his eye that she wore a smile.

"Thanks, Sasuke-kun."

As they rested in front of the fire, quiet and at peace, they unintentionally fell asleep.

.

.

It must have been hours later when Sasuke woke, wondering where he was, what was going on. It was cold. And something was touching him.

Then, he remembered he was last at Sakura's, laying in front of the fireplace. He rapidly blinked his eyes open, his sharingan activating on default. The fire was down to only a few quiet smolders; without kindling or attention, it died. Sakura was next to him, fast asleep, seemingly undisturbed that he'd woken up. While asleep, they must have both turned inward; she faced him with her legs curled up. Her one arm lay against him, her hand curled into a loose fist on his chest. Her lips were parted slightly as she trembled from the cold.

His options seemed to be to get up and rekindle the fire with his jutsu, removing her arm from his chest and likely waking her, or attempt to grab the other blanket on the couch next to him and try to put it across her. Since it was at least the hand he did have that was by the couch, he attempted the second option, first.

Sakura was either a heavy sleeper, or had been more exhausted than she'd let on earlier. Sasuke positioned the blanket atop her, she didn't budge. She murmured something, talking to herself in her sleep, and with the newfound warmth, pressed her lips tightly. He saw that she wasn't trembling, anymore.

It was inevitable that she would, though. Without an active fire, in the middle of winter, it would become too cold. He couldn't get himself to move, though. He watched her gentle, rhythmic breathing. He looked at her small, calloused hand against his chest. After a few moments, he finally relaxed his good arm, placing it between them, careful not to touch her. Then he closed his eyes.

.

.

When she woke, there was a soft blanket atop her. She felt a gentle, consistent heartbeat as it pulsed against the fingers of her left hand. Sakura opened her eyes, but her first look convinced her she was still dreaming. Directly across from her, Sasuke slept, appearing as calm and content as she'd ever seen him. His face was only a few inches from her own, and she listened carefully to his steady breathing, feeling suspended in that moment in time.

It didn't last. Sasuke's eyes opened abruptly, no doubt sharp instincts from their shinobi lifestyle. Before he woke, she could have removed her hand from touching him, but she hadn't. It wasn't conscious thought to rest the back of her hand where she could feel his heartbeat, but once it was there, she refused to move it. It was a precious gift to feel the strength in his life-force. She looked at him, waiting to see if he'd move, hoping he wouldn't.

Sasuke looked at her too, wondering if she'd move, hoping she wouldn't.

For a few moments they just stared at each other, silent, and cold. To Sakura, it seemed like an eternity stretched on _and_ as though it had only been a few seconds, all at the same time. She never wanted this moment to end, and she anxiously wondered what would happen in the next one. So, she just looked to him.

It was only when Sakura guiltily realized he had placed the blanket atop her, but she hadn't considered his lack of one, that she decided to speak. Still, she couldn't raise her voice louder than a whisper.

"Are you cold?"

He pressed his lips together, admitting he was, not wanting to say it aloud.

Sakura felt selfish for not wanting to move, not wanting to release her touch, so she decided on an alternate solution. She opened her curled fingers and turned her wrist to press her palmed hand against his chest, activating warm, healing chakra. When she moved her hand upward, it brought her forearm and elbow against Sasuke's arm that had been cradled between them. She focused on spreading warmth through his blood, muscles, and skin, and tried not to focus on the additional touch against his hand; if he'd refute it, or embrace it.

Sasuke's fingers were now pressed against her arm. He wondered if it was incidental, or if she'd made an excuse to do it, and realized by looking at her focused gaze that there was no way for him to know. _When did she become difficult to read?_ He thought. Her affections had become impossible to discern. As he saw the glint of silver that appeared alongside her wrist, he knew that he had the answer to his own question.

But she did wear the bracelet. From the moment he gifted it to her, she'd worn it every day thereafter. He assumed she took it off when performing surgery, but if so, she must have always put it right back on. When he first noticed her frequency of wearing it, he considered that it might be just have been for his benefit, that she only put it on when she expected to see him. That theory had been debunked though, when several times he saw her without plans yet it remained in its usual place. One time he saw her from afar before she noticed him; she had been touching it, her dainty fingers caressing the gem, as if it were a comforting habit.

It didn't require as much self-coaching this time; it just required taking a breath. Sasuke wrapped his fingers around her arm; he clutched her elbow, than slid his grip up to the soft part of her forearm, holding her.

From this short of a distance between them, he felt how her breath caught, how she tightened in surprise, but as soon as it was discernible, it wasn't. She relaxed, and somehow, he could tell it wasn't forced, or for show. He could sense that she was comfortable; rather, comforted. It was in that moment he realized he'd avoided prompting her affection in case it overwhelmed him. Fearing it might be too much, too fast, and that she'd feel further away, instead of closer. Now though, when her healing chakra deactivated, she kept her hand pressed firmly to his chest, a simple, genuine smile gracing her lips, he realized her love wasn't too much, nor too fast.

Like her, it was strong and steady.

"Sakura."

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure?"

The question wasn't specific, but Sakura thought she knew what he meant.

Was she sure about him, who he could not be, what he could not give, about forfeiting what other men would be able to offer that he would not; about caring for him, for loving him, for choosing _him,_ not what she thought he could be, but for who he really was. Was she sure?

"About you?" She finally asked aloud.

He nodded.

What she knew in her heart of hearts was that her greatest regret was when she temporarily lost hope, when she had given up on him, when she had not been certain of him. Now, even more than ever before, she was sure.

"Yes." Sakura was serious. "I'm sure."

Sasuke's grasp on her loosened, and she was about to grieve its loss when his fingers then traveled upward, past her elbow, to the top of her arm. His touch was slow and careful, and he settled with a gentle grip on the space between her neck and shoulder. She wanted to lean into his touch, she wanted to mirror his movements with the hand that pressed into his chest, but instead, she swallowed.

"Are you?" She asked him. _Are you sure about me?_

For almost as many times that she'd expressed her love for him, he'd rejected it. Though she wanted to be brave, she couldn't be, and she averted her gaze, focusing on the hand she held atop his heartbeat.

Sasuke's hand lifted. Her eyes darted upward, watching how and where he moved, and in what was becoming a familiar gesture, he tapped his index and pointer finger to her forehead. This time, his fingers lingered, and her breath caught in her throat.

"What does that mean?" She whispered softly.

His fingers slid from her forehead to her nose, and when he released them, they hovered atop her cheek. Though he wanted her to know, right now he didn't want his thoughts or this moment darkened by the loss of his brother.

"I'll show you one day."

His promise to share more with her in the future filled her with hope, and though she'd felt the tap was not just an affectionate gesture but a loving one, she hesitated. She knew she was sure. He hadn't said as much. In the next quiet moment that passed by, she thought about whether or not to form more words, to question him, to push him. She didn't want to ruin this moment. She didn't know if it was already ruined.

"Yes," he said. Sakura looked up, her jade eyes wide as he said, "I'm sure."

Sasuke hadn't hesitated because he didn't know the answer, but because he realized he'd known the answer for longer than he'd ever admitted to himself.

She clutched his shirt at the center of his chest, and then relaxed into his touch, letting her cheek cradle into his nearby grasp. Sasuke moved her closer, too, spreading his fingers along the base of her jaw toward her neck. Holding her face, he knew what he was supposed to do, what he'd had dreams of doing, what he wanted to do next. Not used to operating outside of what was simple and predictable, he paused.

As always, Sakura made the moment easier, more comfortable, warmer. She slid her arm from his chest to his side, and pulled herself toward him, all but closing the little distance that had existed between them. Her eyes were closed as she hummed, blissful and at ease in the palm of his hand. He had a feeling if this was all that he did, holding her face, being close to her, that it would have been enough for her.

Sasuke realized it was not enough for him. He tilted her head upward to face him, waited until her curious eyes fluttered open, and then leaned down, closing the final distance between them.

He was careful as he kissed her, first only brushing his lips against hers. Her grip on his side tightened, and then her lips responded, as soft and sweet as he'd imagined.

Many things about Sakura that looked soft were not. Her figure was slim, but she had hardened muscles. Her hands looked smooth, but they were calloused. Her lips, though, were as soft as they looked.

With more confidence now, he kissed her again, taking hold of her bottom lip, breathing her in. When she returned each kiss of his, it was as if she melted into him more, molding perfectly into his form, his movements. When his lips left hers for only a sliver of a second, she tilted her chin upward, her parted lips finding his immediately, unwilling to pause for a breath.

Sasuke's heart started to race, and he held her tighter, pressing her warm figure to him, kissing her more deeply. She moaned softly, feeling as though the stars were finally aligned, radiating their warmth and light into her.

When Sasuke's fingers transitioned from cradling her face to a firm grip at the base of her neck, her hair tangled in his grasp, she felt an intimate jolt shoot past her navel. In between their next kiss, she left her lips parted, and he accepted her unspoken invitation, gentle the first time he slid his tongue along her bottom lip. Thinking of only being closer, closer, _closer_, Sakura slid her hand down from his back to his waist, her lithe hands finding the hem of his shirt and moving beneath it, touching skin to skin, slowly running her fingers over the ridges of his sculpted abdomen.

His tongue became an expert in exploring her mouth, until eventually she found the confidence to taste him, too, deliberate as she caught his tongue with her own. With their bodies pressed so tightly against each other, she could feel against her leg when he became hard. It must have been primal; in thoughtless instinct, she shifted her hips, positioning herself so that he fit where he belonged.

Sasuke inhaled sharply, and though his first instinct was to move further into her, he stopped himself. Sensing his hesitation, Sakura paused, too, releasing his lips. Sasuke took purposeful, slow breaths, and she caught her breath too, shifting her hips enough to give him proper space again.

When she finally opened her eyes and looked up to him, he was already watching her. His gaze was smoldering. There were glossy shades of lilac and stormy violets she had never noticed in his Rinnegan before.

"Too fast?" Her voice was a still-out-of-breath whisper.

"No," he said, carefully unwinding his hand from the tangled hair at the base of her neck. She had loose strands of pastel pink strewn out on her forehead and he brushed them back. It took two attempts, and he used the time to gather his thoughts.

"I just want to do this right," he told her, resting his hand across her side.

Sakura's sheepish smile transitioned into a different one, the kind he had seen only on rare occasions; when she mastered a new jutsu, the first time she realized all her teammates were together again for a meal, when she told him about a particularly difficult surgery that should have been impossible to perform, but she'd done it.

"_This_?" She repeated.

All of 'this' was uncharted waters for him, but he anchored himself in the ease of her touch, in the love in her smile.

"Be with me?" It was as if it wasn't a question.

As much as she wanted to kiss him again, she couldn't stop looking at him, at the warmth and intensity that radiated from his mismatched eyes.

"Yes," she said. "Of course, yes."

For the first time she could recall, Sasuke didn't smugly grin or smirk. Sasuke looked at her, tightened his grip on her, and smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**_ Hi everyone! Thank you all again. I appreciate the follows, favorites, and I truly do value the reviews. I try to keep canon-compliant/realistic, but I did make a few things up regarding genjutsu in this chapter that I don't remember reading anywhere else but makes sense to me. Please keep in mind that this is rated M/Mature for what I had in mind at this point and going forward.

**_Warning/Update: _**After originally posting this, I wanted to clarify why this is rated M. It's M for Mature themes, language, and adult content that might make you uncomfortable. I recommend being 18+, not just because of future explicit scenes, but because of painful, messy adult decisions. This chapter has what I consider normal, unhealthy behaviors for adults who have experienced trauma and react in harmful or self-sabotaging ways, as most of us humans do in our twenties. (First, regretfully. Then later, with grace and forgiveness for ourselves.) So, I've had great reviews after this chapter and the next, but I've also had some seriously upset ones. Thank you to both! But if you're new to reading this, please consider this a warning that I wanted the development of SasuSaku to be realistic, which means it will not just be fluff. There will be hurt people, hurting people. Of course, I hope to make every painful moment worth it in the end. :)

\- With love, Helena

* * *

**Something Left**

Chapter Five

* * *

Knocking on the door woke both of them up. It blended into a dream at first, and Sakura didn't move until she heard another knock followed by a familiar voice.

"Hey Sakura-chan, you up?"

When Sakura's eyes fluttered open, she saw that Sasuke was just waking up, too. He lifted his one hand off from her and pushed his overgrown hair from his face.

"Oi! Sakura-chan? I'll be quick, I just forgot my wedding ring," Naruto hollered through the door.

Sakura groaned as she pushed herself up. She remembered that he had been the one to do dishes after last night's dinner.

"Hold on, Naruto." Her voice had a slight rasp and she felt a crick in her neck from sleeping at an awkward angle on Sasuke's chest. She pressed her healing chakra against it as she stretched out her back. With more agility than she'd possessed, Sasuke sat himself up, leaning against the sofa as he blinked to wake himself up.

"What's the hold up? If you're not dressed just stay in your room, I'll get it myself, I still have the key fr-"

Sakura opened the door. "Naruto! It's too early for you to be screaming."

Naruto let himself in, mouth open and ready to ramble, but he stopped mid-step when he saw Sasuke, his best friend's disheveled hair, and the pile of pillows and blankets on the floor. Naruto quickly looked back and forth between the two of them, realized they wore the same clothes from last night, and felt his jaw drop to the floor.

"Um." His shock swiftly transitioned into a devilish grin. "Um, am I interrupting _something_?"

Sasuke gave him a familiar steely glare. "Yes, dobe. Sleep."

"Anything else?" Naruto prompted. "Besides 'sleep', that is?"

"Your ring, Naruto," Sakura reminded him.

Naruto laughed. He made no move to go to the kitchen. "How long has this been going on? Why have you been hiding it from us?"

Sakura grabbed his shirt's collar, and with amplified strength, tossed him down the hall.

"Okay, okay," he snickered. As he walked down the hall to go get his ring, Sakura rubbed the sleep from her eyes, ignoring whatever banter he was attempting to yell to them from the other room. Wondering if Sasuke would be embarrassed, she looked over to evaluate his mood. Besides having just woken up, he looked content, even at ease. Feeling her gaze on him, he looked up at her.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "What're the odds."

He shrugged, unconcerned. It made Sakura's heart swell; somehow, Naruto finding out, and Sasuke's nonchalant attitude about it, only solidified the realness of the situation.

When Naruto came bouncing back down the hall, slipping his ring back onto his finger, he looked even more mischievous than before.

"So, come on, tell me, are you guys like a thing now?" He asked.

They stared at him.

"We have bets going, you know," Naruto said. "I just want to know if I beat Sai or not."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Bets?"

"Kaka-sama said it would be another few years, Sai said a couple more months, but I said it'd be any day now." Naruto wiggled his eyebrows. "Looks like I was right, eh?"

She wasn't sure whether to be offended by the varying timetables or encouraged that all of them thought it was inevitable.

"Guess you'll never know," Sakura said with a false apology, pushing him toward the door. "See you later, Naruto."

He left in protest. Sakura closed the door and locked it. Frigid cold air had made its way in, and she shivered. She turned back to Sasuke, only to find him already at work to rekindle the fire.

"I'll go make coffee," she told him.

"Aa."

First, she snuck to the bathroom, freshening up and brushing her teeth. When she went to the kitchen next to make a pot, she heard Sasuke go and do the same. He met her in the kitchen, his hair still a tousled mess. Somehow, he looked even more handsome with bedhead.

"What do you have going on today?" She asked.

He looked to the clock. "I'm supposed to meet Tenzo in an hour."

"I can make the coffee to go," she offered.

He nodded. "When do you leave for work?"

"I don't work today," she said. "I've had to cut back hours at the hospital to make time for training."

He lifted a brow. He hadn't realized she'd done that. "Who are you training with?"

"Kurenai-sensei." Sakura went to the cabinets for mugs. "Do you remember her?"

She missed Sasuke's look of surprise. Kurenai was known for being the best genjutsu user in Konoha, previously rivaled only by Uchiha Itachi, who's eyes Sasuke now possessed. At first, Sasuke wasn't sure why Sakura would be training with her, but then he remembered previous conversations on Team Seven when they were genin. Sakura had a predisposition as a genjutsu user. As far as he knew, she'd never tapped into it that particular aptitude since her mentor hadn't been a genjutsu type. By the time Sakura turned around with a mug for her and a travel cup for him, he had put it together.

"You didn't ask me." It didn't sound like a question, but Sakura realized that it was.

She blushed a little. "Well, you've been busy, I didn't want to bother you."

"It wouldn't bother me."

She smiled as she turned to pour their coffee. "Alright. I've been getting headaches from the training that even my healing chakra can't fix, so I only do it on Saturdays when I can rest afterward. If you're free next week I won't schedule anything with Kurenai?"

When she handed him his coffee, his fingers touched hers, and while it was nothing compared to last night, it still sent an electric current through her.

"Yes," he said. "We can meet at the bridge by the old training grounds."

She was about to say thank you, but then she leveraged the opportunity for something else. "Okay. Will I see you before then?"

He looked at her, a subtle smirk turning his lips upward. He wasn't aloof to her propositioning for more time spent together.

"There's an herb the Uchiha grow to make tea that helps alleviate those headaches. I'll bring you some of it tonight."

She smiled. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. That would be great."

He looked back at the time. "I should go."

It was hard for her to be sad that he was leaving when already she was excited to see him again so soon. "Okay. I'll see you tonight."

He started to leave, to make his way down the hall, but then he paused. When Sasuke turned back around, his thoughtfulness was rewarded by the most stunning smile he'd ever seen on her. It didn't matter that she had frizzed hair, tired eyes, and crumpled clothes. She was beautiful.

Sakura slid her coffee mug down on the counter and approached him.

"Bye, Sasuke-kun." She pressed one hand to his chest, but before she could stand on her toes to reach him, he leaned down and kissed her.

After he left, Sakura held her fingers to her lips. It was the only proof she had that last night wasn't a dream.

.

.

Her head felt as though it had been split into two. It was even worse than last time, throbbing painfully throughout her sinus cavity, and Sakura tried everything to make it better: anti-inflammatory medication, a hot shower, a cold shower, peppermint oil, a nap, and of course her healing chakra. None of it worked. In fact, she was sure she'd made it worse. Sakura lay miserably in her bed, tossing and turning as she pressed her hand hard into her forehead, as if she could drive it out.

Two soft knocks on the front door caught her by surprise. She knew that Sasuke had said he would come over, but she hadn't been convinced. It was too good to be true. When Sakura forced herself up, she was not impressed at the sight of herself in the mirror. Crazed, wavy hair, an old sweater that fit just to her hips, and black leggings; it was the opposite of a pretty, sensual style she would have attempted if she had even the slightest more energy.

When Sakura opened the door, she tried to greet Sasuke with her usual enthusiasm. It was futile. Sasuke looked at her glazed eyes, furrowed brow, and how exhaustion seeped into her pale skin.

As Sasuke stepped in the door, watching her flinch at the outside light, he could tell when she struggled to focus.

"How bad?"

"Bad," she answered meekly. "Worse than usual, even."

Sasuke lifted a large envelope; leaves and herbs poked through it.

"Worth a try," she agreed, and went to take it from him.

He dropped his hand with the envelope. "I'll make it."

She dropped her hand too, grateful. "Thank you."

As Sasuke went to the kitchen to boil water, Sakura grabbed her favorite blanket and curled up on the chaise sofa. It was impossible to keep her eyes open or head up, but she tried to listen for when Sasuke would be finished. Several moments later, as she heard footsteps approaching, she forced herself into a sitting position.

Sasuke held a hot mug of tea and stood before her, offering it. She thanked him as she took it, crossing her legs and balancing the steaming tea.

"What is it exactly?" She asked. Then, concerned it was a family secret, she added, "You don't have to answer that."

Sasuke looked to the sofa, uncertain what to do or where to sit, but then Sakura scooted over to offer him the space between her and the edge. He sat down and stretched his legs. She settled herself back down, their arms brushing against one another, and she smiled despite the pain as she smelled the tea.

"It's a hybrid of peppermint and some ancient herb, I don't know which one. We called it mintela. Mothers grew it for when their kids came of age and began practicing genjutsu."

"Oh great," Sakura said, and already he sensed her sarcasm. "So I'm on par with children."

"No," he disagreed. Then, "Has Kurenai explained chakra saturation?"

"Yes. She said it was inevitable until I can release it better."

He thought about Sakura's dominant skills. "In medical ninjutsu, how do you use chakra?"

"Carefully," she said emphatically. Then, "It's a fine and delicate process, and requires exceptional, constant control."

"And when you use … excessive strength?"

She noted he elected to not say monstrous.

"Also fine and delicate, believe it or not. I have to be extremely precise, or else I would injure myself during the impact."

It was what he thought. "Genjutsu isn't about being delicate, nor is it even about control. It's the opposite. It's about letting go."

Sakura stared at her tea, impatiently waiting for it to cool down enough to try. "You're saying I need to stop trying so hard to control it?"

He nodded. "If you're trying too hard to control it, it won't work as naturally, and by concentrating all of the chakra to your mind while you do it, the saturation will cause severe headaches."

"So," she surmised. "My healing chakra isn't working because less chakra is the answer, not more of it."

Foggy as she felt, she could understand the concept. How to turn that into reality, though, she was far less certain. In order to relinquish control, she would have to control not taking control, which seemed inherently impossible.

"You're not on par with children," he concluded. "It's because you have too much skill and experience that it's counter-intuitive for you."

She hummed. Then, "Here, will you hold this for a moment?"

As she offered him the too-hot tea back, he took it, watching her as she seemed to be thinking and scheming. She turned herself to the side, resting her head and back against his shoulder, and lay down, stretching her legs out toward the opposing side of the sofa. She lifted her sweater to reveal her midriff and then placed a hand atop her bare stomach. Without conscious thought, Sasuke's sharingan activated. Most shinobi, or rather, almost all shinobi would not be able to meddle with their own chakra network. He watched though, as Sakura carefully pulled the saturated chakra resting in her forehead down to her stomach. For the next few moments, she pulled it from her mind, to her abdomen, and then redistributed it throughout her chakra network.

"There," she whispered, her eyes fluttering open as she folded her sweater back down.

Sasuke blinked, relaxing his sharingan. "Did it work?"

She pulled herself half-up, resting still on his shoulder. The throbbing had stopped, but all the lingering effects remained. "For the most part. I'm sure the tea will help with the rest."

As she leaned against him, facing the opposite way, she tilted her head back to look toward her tea. With only one hand, he would have to pull himself from her to properly transition the mug back to her possession, or…

Sasuke lifted his arm up from beneath her, shifting so that her head rested against his chest instead, and he rested his arm across her torso, offering her the tea.

"Thank you," she said, and though she sounded composed, he knew her too well for that. He didn't recognize his own uncertainty, until he realized it reassured him to see when his movements, words, or touches affected her.

The tea had cooled to a drinkable temperature and Sakura finally tried it. The peppermint was obvious, but whatever it had been bred with tasted less familiar. Her medicinal herb training was in mind as she tried to place it as a member of the rosemary family. She noticed, too, that Sasuke must have found the honey in her cabinets, because it was sweetened. His thoughtfulness, first with the tea, second in how he carefully draped his arm atop her, near but not touching her breasts, had Inner Sakura celebrating in the depths of her mind. As she drank the tea in their companionable silence, she felt blissful.

"The tea is amazing," she concluded, reaching slightly to the ground to place the empty mug down. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

"I don't think it was the tea that helped most." There was a slight hint of amusement in his tone.

"It was both," Sakura disagreed.

"Hn." He shook his head, stopping his laugh before it could start.

Sasuke looked down at her. She situated herself with the back of her head resting between his chest and abdomen. His arm hung loosely atop her, his hand resting on her stomach, her sweater lifted slightly from her work earlier, revealing a thin line of her porcelain skin atop her hips. Sasuke's fingers wrapped around the fabric at the end of her sweater.

"That scar…" Sasuke started to ask.

She felt his fingers at the hem of her sweater, and she was glad for any excuse to feel them against her skin, instead. "You can look at it," she said.

Sasuke looked at her first, catching her gaze, seeing that she meant what he said; then he looked to her torso, and gently lifted her sweater a few inches, stopping at the sight of her thick scar on the right side of her stomach. It was about two inches in height. It didn't look recent, but it hadn't faded into her skin, either.

"This isn't from our fight with Madara." Sasuke said it, thinking of the cylindrical object Sakura willfully impaled herself with in order to attempt a lethal blow against him.

"No," Sakura said, using both her hands to pull her sweater up a couple inches higher. She framed her hand around a faded, almost invisible circular scar in the center of her abdomen. "This is the one from Madara."

Sasuke ran his thumb along the pink, ridged scar that originally caught his attention. It was far less healed than the one from their battle with Madara. "This happened afterward?"

But she shook her head, her hands releasing back to her sides. "No, before, actually. It just didn't heal the same."

Sasuke's thumb was still studying the scar, as if mapping it out. "Why not?"

Sakura looked down at herself, at the scar, remembering it as if it were yesterday. Sometimes she still felt the pain, physical and mental, as though it were that recently.

"A number of reasons. I didn't have the 100 Healings Seal activated. The blade was poisoned; poison always complicates the healing process. And Lady Chiyo did the healing, not me, just enough to keep me alive so that we could continue on. There wasn't time to care about limiting scar tissue."

He thought back to when he first came back to Konoha and all of them were hospitalized. He remembered that Naruto said it was Lady Chiyo and Sakura who killed Sasori from the Akatsuki.

"Your fight with the Akatsuki?"

She nodded, then as if consciously letting it go, turned back up, resting her head on him again.

"What happened?" He asked.

"What happened?" She repeated, and was instantly dismissive. "Oh, well, that's a long story."

"Is your headache better?"

"Yes," she answered hesitantly, but truthfully. "Why?"

He looked again at the length of the scar as he rested his thumb on it. "Then we have time."

"Alright," Sakura agreed, a combination of mixed feelings. She settled herself more comfortably into the crook between his arm and chest as she told him about the Akatsuki's attack on the Sand Village, starting from the beginning, when her, Naruto, and Kakashi first got news in Lady Tsunade's office.

Sasuke listened attentively, hardly interrupting her to ask a rare question, like where Sai had been ("Oh, he wasn't assigned to the team yet"). When she was about to reach the part that required explaining how she leapt in front of Sasori's blade, the origin of the scar, she hesitated.

Noticing, Sasuke was able to guess what happened next. "You used yourself as a shield."

"Mhm," she hummed. "There was no time for anything else."

He resumed his gentle traversing over her scar with his thumb and forefinger. Then he asked, "Did it run through you?"

Answering his question, Sakura pushed herself upward and leaned forward, exposing her back to him. Sasuke ran his fingers across her side to her back, and from underneath her sweater, felt the matching scar on her back. It was raised to the same height, and he could feel it at the same width and height. With only one hand, he maneuvered her sweater upward in the back to see the scar. It looked almost the exact same as the one on the front. Sakura wrapped her arms around her front to hold the edges of the sweater, and Sasuke used his calloused fingers to gently inspect this scar, too.

"You've developed a habit of impaling yourself on purpose." He said it quietly, neither disapprovingly or with praise.

"If I know what I can heal, I know what I can sacrifice."

He remembered in the Chunin Exams when she ran the kunai through her hair, chopping it off to escape the Sound nin's grasp. Perhaps she'd always had that sacrificial mindset. She loosened some, lowering herself more, and Sasuke's touch traveled from her scar to the nodules of her spine. Though she'd developed toned muscles, from her abdomen, obliques, to her back, she had a naturally thin frame. He imagined the training she'd done to strengthen herself. From their shared time in the hospital together, and the beginning of her story on how Naruto had just returned, he knew most of the strengthening took place on her own accord. When Sasuke lifted his touch from her spine, she moved back to her original position against him, and he resumed his, this time fingers brushing against her bare skin.

Sakura continued to tell him how Lady Chiyo ultimately defeated Sasori and what happened next to rescue Gaara. Her voice wavered when she explained how Gaara was brought back to life, but she celebrated when Gaara was shocked by his warm welcome from his family, friends, shinobi forces, and village members. It was impossible for Sasuke to not compare himself with Gaara, at least the old Gaara that he had known, and how Naruto ferociously fought for his friend's life, believing in him to change, to be whole and loved.

It seemed Gaara had far surpassed him, though. There were many things Sasuke felt he couldn't name in his mind or his heart, but he settled on how he would pay the future-Hokage a visit tomorrow to take him out to lunch.

When Sakura finished, she turned slightly, resting her cheek atop his chest. Sasuke's hands rested along her hips as he pensively considered the beginning of the Akatsuki attacks; he knew there had to be many more stories he didn't know, hadn't asked about, and wasn't told. Pain's attack on the village was one of them; it was mentioned often as either before the attack or after, it shaped many aspects of Sakura's work and life, and it was something the entire village worked toward rebuilding from. But he hadn't been present for it, and wasn't sure of the real details. As a healer, he imagined Sakura had been busy, with both civilian and shinobi injuries. Guilt weighed on him.

"Do you remember the night I left?" He asked, knowing full-well her answer.

Underneath his touch, and with her head atop of him, it was impossible not to notice how she tensed.

"Yes," she answered after a moment. She wanted to ask him what about it, but was too nervous.

Sasuke focused on his hold on her waist, at the strength in her petite frame, and in the sweet and simple manners in which she'd responded to him so far. Though he had always been thoughtful, he'd never been prone to communicating those thoughts. He tried, though. Guilt pressed into him so hard that _trying _seemed the only way to escape its weight.

"When I lifted you onto the bench, I remember thinking that it would be up to Naruto and Kakashi to make sure you stayed alive."

Sakura didn't breathe as she listened. There were so many unspoken things between them, and that night was certainly one of them.

"But you made sure of that yourself."

It wasn't surprise in his tone; if anything, it was gratitude.

From his view looking down, he could see how Sakura bit her lip. "I was tired of being worthless."

When he thought of her trapped by Gaara's one-tailed demon, the last thing that he felt then was that she was worthless. Unskilled, doubtful, and shy, sure, but in that moment, she had been the opposite of worthless.

"You were never worthless."

Sakura pressed her eyes to a close, and he wondered if it was his words or her headache, but then she turned herself. His arm shifted to the other side of her hips as she looked directly up to him, the jade of her serious eyes enhanced against the dark green sweater.

"Everyone else was on a team, working together, growing closer, and spending all of their time together – whether to train, relax, or go on missions. I didn't have a team. Without you and Naruto, I was the academy graduate no one knew what to do with, no one knew where to place. I don't think Kaka-sama knew what to do with just me."

"It was lonely," she admitted, though she didn't sound sad now. "But what happened was what needed to happen. You had to find your brother. Naruto needed that time with Master Jiraiya, his father's closest mentor. I needed to figure out who I was and who I wanted to be."

She had been careful with her words, especially when it came to mentioning his brother, but he hadn't flinched. He just looked down at her, listening, watching, and touching her.

"I needed to leave." He was quiet. "But I'm sorry I left."

He had only apologized for leaving once before; immediately following the fight with Naruto, when they'd almost killed each other.

Sakura shrugged against him. "You learned the truth about your brother's love. Naruto is happily _married_. And now we have…" She didn't know how to say it. After a pause, she gently placed her hand atop of his. He responded - responding physically was easier than verbally - by linking his fingers between hers. With a shy smile, she finished, "Now we have _this_."

Sasuke thought about what she'd asked him last night. With a slight smirk, he repeated, "This?"

Sakura seemed surprised by him teasing after a conversation that mentioned Itachi, but she laughed, caressing his fingers between hers. Both of them had rough, calloused hands; neither preferred it any other way. She said, "I like _this_."

He did, too. As he looked to her, felt her warmth, and held her hand, it was impossible not to think of the previous night. It must have been apparent in his heated gaze - she blushed, daring herself not to break eye contact with him, unconsciously biting her lower lip in anticipation.

Sasuke carefully unwound his fingers from hers, noting her slight disappointment until he ran his hand up her side, lifting her upward. He was surprisingly adept with one arm, but she caught on, propping herself up, too. His grip paused beneath her ribs, his fingers stretching below her shoulder blades. With Sakura now close enough to reach, he didn't hesitate as he did last night. Holding her firmly toward him, he leaned down and kissed her. She didn't hesitate, either, responding with ease, as if she'd been hoping for this moment the entire time. Her entire life.

He tried to pace himself, kissing her slowly, enjoying her tender responses. The more he felt her warm lips, the more he wanted her closer, sooner. When he moved to do as much, she didn't seem to mind, pushing her hands into the sofa to reach him better. This time, he didn't wait until her lips parted, and instead carefully tugged her bottom lip. At the sound of her soft moan, he went further, his tongue extending an invitation that knew it'd be accepted. Sakura lifted herself off the sofa completely to be as close as he needed.

Sensing her unnatural lift toward him, Sasuke bent down to wrap his entire arm around her waist, and deftly pulled her into his lap. Her initial gasp instantly transitioned into an excited smile, and before he could return to her, she found his lips first, eager to kiss him, to feel his tongue's expert claim over her mouth. Sasuke didn't disappoint.

Remembering what had caused the moment to end too early last night, she tried to resist her own impulses to deepen their kiss. But the more he continued to pursue her with his tongue, she couldn't think with rationale anymore. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and finally caught his tongue with her own, equally deliberate and enthusiastic. This time, Sasuke didn't stop her, letting himself enjoy her sweet, playful movements. It was like learning something new about her, something only for him to know.

Only when they _had _to pause for air, they finally did. Sakura looked overwhelmed; her breathing rapid, high cheekbones painted red, hair mussed, framing her wide-eyed face with straggled strands. As a child, he remembered her often being frazzled, but not as an adult, and not in this kind of manner. Despite the physical urge to keep going until satisfied, there was a different sort of satisfaction that came from seeing her like this - being the one to make her look like this.

"What's wrong?" She asked suddenly, and he had just a split second to see how her dazed eyes became focused by concern as they shifted downward.

He blinked, uncertain why she sounded fearful, but as soon as he thought it was odd that she'd asked him while averting her gaze, he realized what had made her turn.

With conscious effort, he deactivated the sharingan he didn't even notice had spun to life. Though she was so close, her petite frame literally in his lap, it was abundantly clear that she was now far, far away. Her furrowed brows, the clenched fists she tried to hide from him, and the way in which her heart pounded even after it had just started to calm down. She was afraid.

Fuck_. _Sasuke felt the pressure of a thousand kilos on his chest. In case he selfishly thought he could grapple to find other excuses for her abrupt change of mood, the sharingan had accidentally recorded it all in perfect clarity. That irony was not lost on him. It had only been five seconds, but it played in his mind, over and over again. His sharingan whirling to life, and her instant flood of fear upon the sight of it. Of him.

Fuck_._

It was so like Sakura, to uncurl her fists, to regulate her breathing, to look back over to him, an unassuming smile directed for his benefit. A false smile. He'd spent far more time paying attention to her behaviors when they were children than she'd given him credence for. He knew her false smiles in and out.

That was where they differed. Sasuke hardly offered smiles, and he never faked them. When he was stern, his frame stiff and cold, Sakura realized she hadn't been as clever as she'd thought.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun," she whispered, and already he was angered. W_hy is she the one apologizing? _

But she wasn't paying attention to him, she was staring at the wall across from her. "I know I've seen it a hundred times since then, but the last time it was so close…"

The last time it was so close he'd been hurling his fist into her chest and forcing her into a terrifying genjutsu to keep her from his battle against Naruto in the Valley of the End.

An uncomfortable silence between them stretched on for miles, for moments. The weight on Sasuke's chest wasn't a thousand kilos, but the weight of reality, the reality of what he'd done. It didn't matter that he'd utilized that genjutsu in an attempt to keep her safe from harm. It didn't matter, when he'd rejected her again, ignored her again, and hurt her, again.

Of course, it was Sakura who tried to smooth it over.

"Fear is a primal instinct." She was speaking to him like a doctor. "It's a defensive mechanism meant for survival. Just because my brain's initial response of a memory trigger is to be alerted with the sensation of fear, it doesn't mean I'm afraid of… of you."

Was she trying to convince him or herself? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure it mattered, either.

The sharingan was not a cheap parlor trick. It was not just one of the many possible weapons he could utilize in a battle. The sharingan was his family's kekkei genkai, a symbol of the Uchiha far more significant than the family crest. It was all that he had left of his clan. It was all that he had left of Itachi.

It was all that he had left of the Uchiha to pass forward to the next generation.

More silence, which went from uncomfortable, to awkward, to painful. They were physically too close, they had just been _so _close, for the weight of this realization. Sakura carefully pulled herself up, feigning an excuse to stretch, but then she realized it didn't help to add some space between them. The distance only made it worse. Her heart felt sunken.

"Are you hungry, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. "I was too sick to eat earlier, I'm starved."

He was unwilling to change the subject. To pretend like it didn't matter.

Sasuke stood up, too. "This is the real reason why you asked Kurenai instead of me."

He finally spoke, and though it wasn't what she expected, she immediately responded. "No. Genjutsu came up when I was having tea with her and Ino, and she offered. I had helped babysit Mirai so she felt like he owed me a favor."

Even if that scenario had actually occurred, he could tell that she was lying, in the same way that he could tell she'd been falsely smiling. In the limited scope of emotions he had practice with using, anger was the only one that came to him.

"I told Tenzo I'd be back soon."

This was a lie, too. She knew it. He knew that she knew it. But Sakura had become an expert in maneuvering through his quirks. His ineptitude. His failures.

"Okay," she said lightly, as if she understood. As if she wasn't forcing tears to wait until he'd leave before she'd let them form. "Thank you for the tea."

But the tea hadn't done anything to help her, she had helped herself. Sasuke offered a brief nod in farewell, and let himself out.

Sakura stared at the door. For as long as it took for them to come together, it sure as hell didn't take long for them to fall apart.

.

.

.

"These results are promising, Sakura."

Kaka-sama proudly held the papers in his grasp, regarding parchment with zeal as opposed to the usual disdain.

She couldn't help but crack a smile. "I know. With a few more staff members, I think I can launch a new program at the clinic within six months."

"Ah." Kakashi withheld a laugh. "You're here to ask me for more funding."

"Yes." Sakura was not bashful.

He became somber, though. "You know I believe in your work, and that I trust you to oversee it successfully, but there are at least five new projects presented to me each day. I can't show bias. This has to be vetted by the council, the same as the others."

"All of the other new 'unnecessary' projects are being turned down though," Sakura protested. "You said that yourself last week."

He knew she would remember that. Kakashi sighed, unhappy to have to be pitiful and political with one of his old pupils, but she interrupted him.

"What about the anonymous donor who helped the clinic get started? Who helped the last time I needed additional funding for the new equipment?"

Sakura was unwilling to accept a 'no', not when right now, the research and the clinic was all that she had.

Slowly, Kakashi nodded. "I'll ask."

"Good," Sakura said, and she stood up, bowing deeply, treating him like the Hokage instead of her old sensei. "Thank you, Kaka-sama."

He couldn't help but chuckle, though. "You're welcome, Sakura."

When she looked up, there was the glimmer of hope in her emerald orbs. He was glad to not be the reason it was extinguished. As she started to walk toward the door, she turned back for a moment.

"Are you going to make it to Friday's dinner? Please, Kaka-sama."

Naruto had been in this morning to make the same plea.

"I'll be there," he said with certainty, surprising her. "Naruto and Hinata's, right?"

She tilted her head. "I thought it was Sasuke's turn to host."

It started with a pinprick of confusion in his gut, but then it gradually enlarged to what was more familiar to him. The suddenness of dread.

Sakura was too keen. She knew her former sensei better than most. Even half-covered by a mask, Kakashi's darkened disposition was easily apparent to her.

"He didn't tell you?" Kakashi asked carefully. "He took a temporary post with ANBU to assist Sai on a particularly difficult assignment."

Because he now knew that she had not been told, he added, "He'll be gone for at least six weeks."

The glimmer was out. Gone. For as observant as he was known to be, Kakashi wasn't sure if Sakura's frozen frame was hiding clamoring pain or vengeful fury.

"An ANBU assignment." Sakura was not an idiot. Even though Sai was their friend and the Hokage had been their previous sensei, ANBU assignments were strictly classified. They never discussed any details of them. Yet Sakura asked, "Did Sai ask for his help?"

They both knew the answer. No. Sasuke had come into the Hokage's office and offered the help, without knowing of any particular assignments. His motive was not to help Sai. His motive was to leave Konoha. To leave her.

Kakashi didn't reply.

"Thank you, Kaka-sama," Sakura said blankly, offering another bow, and leaving his office.

Not once had Sakura called out sick from the clinic. Not once had Sakura taken an unexpected personal day without finding proper coverage. Today, though, she let them know she had a family emergency. She ran so fast she almost flew to the old, worn training ground that had been specially designated for her and Tsunade-sama.

It had been destroyed before. Sakura, with every ounce of strength and chakra in her, destroyed it again.

.

.

.

He fucked too hard, but she was too drunk to care.

It had been a blur of muffled noises, bright colors, and dulled nerves. She wanted to be careless, careless in a way that was only made possible with the warm burn of liquor. She needed it. With enough sake, she could loosen up, feel less, and find a good enough distraction. She'd drank, and _drank_, until she felt as bold as she'd wanted to be. Until she found someone, anyone, to fuck the thoughts of Sasuke out of her.

Kiba was kind enough, handsome enough, and funny enough. More importantly, he was unlike Sasuke enough. It wasn't planned; it wasn't on either of their minds during the first drink, but it was all that was on their mind after the last.

"Come on, Kiba," she'd said, daring him. "Are you going to ask me to come home with you or not?"

So, he had. He was too drunk, too. When they made it into his bed, it was all sharp cries, muted colors, and vitalized nerves. Their mouths didn't really seem to fit together, but she didn't want him to kiss her. She directed him to her neck, or elsewhere.

He also fucked too fast, but she was too drunk to care about that, either. It had been hours of drinking and flirting, but ten minutes in his bed. They finished, they laughed; Kiba halfheartedly offered to hold her afterward, but she turned, uninterested. Sakura planned to wait only a few moments before gathering her things to go, but the heat, relief, and buzz caught up with her. She fell asleep soon after Kiba did.

.

.

When Sakura woke at dawn's first light, she was overwhelmed with a searing headache and the pressing need to vomit. She almost groaned aloud, but then she remembered she wasn't home in her own bed. Realization dawned on her. Shame exploded inside of her.

Not at what she'd done, but with whom.

As quiet as only a kunoichi of her talent could be, she slipped out of the bed. Her clothes were scattered in different places in the room. She collected them one by one, until she was fully dressed again.

Kiba was not an aloof civilian. He woke from the shift in the bed and the soft steps in his bedroom. Quietly, frowning as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair, he looked to her.

Sakura paused. "Kiba, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

He shook his head. "No, don't apologize. I was wasted, too."

Sakura had broken her rule. No shinobi. No men she had to associate with, shared friends with, or could be paired on a team with one day. Kiba was all of these things, all the reasons she had this rule.

"This… this was just…" She didn't know how to form the words. Civilian men didn't care if she came and went after just one night. He was a friend, a comrade, though.

"Just a onetime mistake?" Kiba offered a tired smile.

She was surprised, but because it was true, she nodded.

"Don't worry, Sakura," he said, and she knew that he meant it. "You know how many guys wish they could date you? You only go home with the ones who don't. I knew that."

Sakura wasn't entirely sure how she felt about this reputation, but since that was the truth, too, she nodded again.

"Alright. Thanks, Kiba. I'll see you around."

She left, and didn't look back.

.

.

.

Shizune kicked her out of the building after her tenth day at the hospital.

"You've been sleeping in your office for over a _week_," the brunette snapped. "Go. Go home and rest. Don't come back until you've slept, showered, and eaten three meals a day for at least two days in a row."

"Look, Shizune, I'm fine," Sakura assured her. "It's just this new project. I'm so close to figuring this out, and then—"

"We haven't even secured the funding yet, Sakura. You have plenty of time. You need to rest."

"Okay, let me just finish th—"

"Sakura. Go home. Or I'll have the Hokage-sama make it an order himself."

More exhausted than she wanted to admit, Sakura became childishly indignant. "_Fine_."

Shizune hadn't actually monitored her while she left, so Sakura took as many books, notepads, and case files as she could fit into her arms, and then went home to get back to work.

.

.

.

When it neared the sixth week after Sasuke's abrupt departure, Sakura put in a request for leave at the clinic and hospital. She demanded Kakashi look for the most difficult mission he could find and assign it to her. Because he'd never been very good at assisting his team through their turmoil with each other, he did it.

.

.

.

It was Sasuke's second day back after his spontaneous assignment with ANBU, and something wasn't right.

First, Naruto showed up to spar on time. Second, he didn't yell, scream, or otherwise harass Sasuke. Third, the Uchiha was fairly confident that the dobe was letting him win. Fourth, when it was time to decide where to eat lunch, Naruto said, "I don't care, where do you want to go?"

That was it. Sasuke couldn't stand it.

"Go ahead, Naruto." The sharingan didn't spin to life, but it looked like it might. "Just say it."

Naruto wasn't intimidated. "Say what?"

Sasuke was even more annoyed. "That I fucked up. That I should go to Hell for it."

There was slight amusement in his sparkling blue eyes, but mostly, Naruto looked sad. "I was planning to say all of that, bastard. But then I figured you've probably already spent weeks saying it to yourself."

It wasn't what Sasuke expected. Deflating like a popped balloon, he had nothing left to say, and looked away.

Naruto snorted. "You could have two arms, you know? I have two. Sure, it's a prosthetic, but it works just like the real thing."

To make his point, Naruto used his prosthetic arm and clapped Sasuke hard on the back. Then he said, "Even when Tsunade-sama worked hard to graft one especially for you, even when the council decided you deserved it, and even though it would make your life and your worth as a shinobi significantly better, you rejected it."

"What's your point, dobe?"

"My point is nobody is harder on you than yourself," Naruto said, lifting but not fully removing his hand. "You got this stupid narrative going in your head that you don't deserve good things."

Sasuke shrugged off Naruto's hand. "I don't deserve her."

Naruto put his hand back on Sasuke's shoulder, but this time, it wasn't a brotherly touch. He forced Sasuke to turn toward him.

With a glare so infamous it was all half the world knew about Uchiha Sasuke, he stared down his best friend.

"Did you ever stop to think about what she deserves?" Naruto challenged. "Because if you love her, and I think you do, then she sure as hell deserves you."

Sasuke blinked. The manner in which he'd spent all of his time thinking about, or trying not to think about, him and Sakura was abruptly turned on its head. It was a foreign, almost uncomfortable way to think about it.

"Come on," Naruto said, interrupting Sasuke from his circling thoughts. "I'm hungry. Did you decide where you want to go?"

Sasuke sighed. "Let's just go to Ramen Ichiraku."

"Perfect," Naruto grinned. Then, "I have something I need to talk to you about when we get there."

.

.

.

"What?" Sakura realized her jaw had literally slackened from shock, and she scrambled to regain her composure. "Oh, Naruto, congratulations."

Because she was Sakura, tears instantly fell.

"Thanks, Sakura-chan." And because he was Naruto, he started to tear up, too.

"You're going to be a father," she sputtered. "You're going to be a _dad_."

Her words seemed to excite and terrify him all at the same time. "I- I know, crazy, eh?"

"No, it's not crazy," she said, smiling through her falling tears. Then, she corrected her earlier statement. "You're going to be a great dad. The best dad, really."

"You mean it?"

"I do," she said, scrambling up from her office chair to embrace him in a hug. "I really do."

He hugged her so hard it almost hurt, but when it came to physical strength, she was the stronger one. She squeezed him tighter and he yelped from the pain. Together, they laughed, and they cried.

When at last the shock seemed to settle down, Naruto admitted one of his many hesitations.

"I don't really have any family, except for our team. The baby isn't really going to have any family from my side. I'm glad Hinata-chan has such a large family, but still, I wish…"

He wished his mom and dad were alive. He wished any of his family were here, for him, and for his future child.

Sakura put a gentle hand on his arm. "I wish they were here, too."

He offered a weak smile.

Though she knew it was not the same, she said, "You have us, Naruto. Always. We'll always be your family, and we're going to be your baby's family, too. He or she, they'll have us."

Both of them knew their 'us' had been fragmented as of late. Neither Sasuke nor Sakura had been able to commit to their weekly team dinners at the same time. For people who weren't seeing or talking to each other, they had been incredibly adept at making sure not to attend a dinner at the same time.

When Sakura sensed Naruto's hesitation, she squeezed her best friend's arm. "I promise, Naruto. We might be an odd family, but we're yours, and we're always going to be here for you."

Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand. "We are pretty odd. Bet the baby will be just as odd. Believe it."

When she laughed, it was genuine. Whatever she needed to do to make sure that promise was kept, she would do it. Kami knew of all people who deserved for her promise to be true, it was Naruto.

* * *

"So tell me now

If this ain't love then how do we get out?"

_Lyrics of Savior, Rise against_

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Because trauma is real, emotions are messy, and vulnerability isn't easy for any of us.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N:**_ Thank you for the reads, follows, favorites, and honest reviews! I appreciate your time and thoughts. As I mentioned last chap, it's M/Mature as these characters are in their early twenties now. Like with the genjutsu, this time I made up a few things in regards to chakra mythology (at least I think so, anyway).

* * *

**Something Left**

Chapter Six

"That's when she said, 'I don't hate you, boy.

I just want to save you while there's still something left to save.'

That's when I told her, 'I love you, girl,

But I'm not the answer for the questions that you still have.'"

_Lyrics of Savior by Rise Against_

* * *

"Good news, Sakura."

Kaka-sama held an envelope with the council members seal. She held her breath, heart beating a mile a minute, and waited for the rest of his words.

"You got your funding," he said, lifting the envelope to her, "Now go get to work."

Sakura couldn't help but holler in excitement. Forgetting the nonsense of formalities, she squeezed the envelope to her chest, and then tackled Kakashi with an exuberant hug.

Like he did when they were all children, he stuck a hand on the top of her head, and then affectionately mussed her hair.

.

.

.

Hinata was positively worn out from the formal affairs that her family required of her in a pregnancy. Too many guests, visitors, and special occasions with clan members she barely knew and hardly liked. When Naruto asked her if they could do something small and informal with just their own friends, she knew what he meant and why it mattered to him. Their friends were the only family that he had left. So, of course she agreed to it. The truth was she'd take their friends and comrades over the majority of her clan in a heartbeat.

Though spring would be here soon, there was still a remaining chill to the air, so they held an informal lunch inside the warmth of the Uzumaki-Hyuga estate. Sakura, the closest thing to a sister Naruto had, took over full reigns of planning, decorating, and catering for the luncheon.

Sakura made a crown out of flowers from her herbal collection that survived Konoha's brief winter in the hospital's greenhouse and lovingly offered it to Hinata. The Hyuga heir was glad not only for Naruto, but for herself, to have such a kind family.

"Will you deliver the baby, Sakura?"

Hinata seemed to ask her out of nowhere.

"W-what? Are you sure, Hinata-chan? I know your clan must have midwives tha–"

"I'm sure, Sakura-chan. We're sure. There's no one else we'd trust more."

Too honored to speak, Sakura settled on a deep bow to her best friend's wife. Then, quiet and humble, she said, "Of course."

Hinata smiled at the pinkette. "Is there anything I can do before people arrive?"

Sakura was offended. "No, no. Just relax. Have fun. You tell me if _you_ need anything!"

Sure enough, the first guests began to arrive soon after. Even though there was staff for it, Sakura made sure to open the door and greet every guest, personally thanking them and parading them over to Hinata and Naruto.

All of them were shinobi, so most of them noticed when the first knock came that Sakura made no attempt to answer. Instead, Naruto went to the door, and greeted his best friend with an excited shout.

"Ah, bastard! You're back. You made it."

Sakura had no idea where Sasuke had been this past time.

When she heard Naruto's loud clamors of excitement move from the entryway to the parlor, she busied herself with picking up various trash items and took them into the kitchen.

For the next half hour, Sakura impressed herself with how suavely she avoided looking at or even acknowledging Sasuke's presence. She laughed easily, chatted without hesitation, teased Ino, and fussed over Hinata. Even Naruto was convinced that Sakura was genuinely unbothered by Sasuke being no less than twenty feet away at any given time.

No one expected much from Sasuke at these sorts of things, and he knew that. He remained what his mother would have called a wallflower, until at last, Kakashi arrived. The two of them talked quietly about his most recent mission.

After Sai, the next person to arrive was someone who visited so often, he hadn't felt the need to knock. After all, Hinata had been on his team for half his life, and Naruto was one of his closest friends and sparring partners. Kiba burst through the door with a wolfish grin and an armful of presents. Naruto eagerly greeted him, warmly accepted the gifts, and offered his traditional if unorthodox bear hug. Sasuke watched, rolling his eyes when Kiba almost fell over from Naruto's clumsy approach.

When the Inuzuka shinobi looked up, he met Sasuke's unimpressed gaze. In a split second of surprise, Kiba looked not only startled to see the Uchiha, but almost concerned. It was fleeting, though. Kiba returned the hug as Naruto went on about something in regards to the gifts.

There were many who had taken a long time to warm up to Sasuke when he first returned to Konoha, but years had passed since then. Sasuke could count on more than one hand how many times he'd seen and interacted with the Inuzuka clan member with nothing but ordinary, and sometimes even friendly exchanges. So, why the abrupt change of heart?

Sasuke watched him. Kiba greeted Naruto's wife no different than Naruto would have greeted Sakura. The pregnant woman was like a sister to him, and no doubt with his pack mentality, he'd taken her pregnancy with sacred considerations. Everything seemed normal enough when Kiba greeted the others that Sasuke almost stopped paying him any attention. But then he noticed the man hesitate.

Though Sasuke had been dutifully avoiding looking anywhere near the general vicinity of Sakura, as impossible as that had been, he noticed her know. Many who knew her wouldn't have caught it, but he was more familiar than most with her nervous habits. She squeezed her hands together. She offered Kiba what was a polite but not warm smile. Kiba, in return, looked more than willing to only nod back. Then, apparently, the man felt an instinctual need to flick his gaze over to Uchiha Sasuke immediately after. That was the real mistake, because though he'd been nervous about Sasuke noticing him, he sure has hell hadn't planned on what to do if the other man was actually staring at him. Kiba flushed, glanced back at Sakura, and then promptly turned to where Shino stood nearby.

Unable to help it, Sakura looked to what had made Kiba react. Once she turned, she realized it was not a what, but a who. Sakura still held her hands. Sakura still wore her polite smile. But it was guilt in the dark flecks of her jade eyes.

As soon as she looked to him, she frowned and turned away.

Sasuke sat in his own silence for several moments. Even without the sharingan, what he'd seen was clear enough.

"Uh, Sasuke, did you hear me?" Kakashi said.

It sounded like Kakashi had been talking to him for several moments, but Sasuke hadn't heard a word. Finally, he looked over to his old sensei.

For all his odd quirks and feigned nonchalance, Kakashi was not aloof. Right when he was about to ask Sasuke what was wrong, Sasuke pulled out a small gift-wrapped box from his pocket and handed it to Kakashi.

"Give this to Naruto and Hinata for me."

"What? Where are you going?"

Sasuke didn't answer. Before anyone else heard or noticed his planned departure, he left.

.

.

.

It was unusual for Sakura to be pulled from her hospital duties per the Hokage's orders. She tried not to stress over it as the ANBU messenger escorted her to Kaka-sama's house, but when she sensed the many other familiar chakra signatures that belonged to high-level shinobi, her concern spiked. _Why is everyone gathered here? _

Though Kakashi's own apartment had been small and simple, the Hokage's home he inherited was a much larger, well-fortified estate. With her pink hair, sannin notoriety, and friend-of-the-Hokage status, she'd cleared security with ease and was left alone outside of the front door. No one had answered her first question about what was going on, so she hadn't asked again.

Her three other teammates, Shikamaru, Ino, Genma, and Anko were present in the home. Sakura could sense that Shino and Lee were not far behind her own ANBU escort. These were well-seasoned warriors, not fresh Chunin. They also were some of the shinobi that Sakura knew Kaka-sama trusted the most. Her concern intensified.

Knowing herself and others were expected, Sakura didn't bother to knock. She entered Kakashi's home, steeling herself for whatever she was about to be up against.

Naruto greeted her immediately, as warm as ever. "Hey, Sakura-chan. I didn't think they'd actually get you to leave the clinic."

His brotherly embrace and easygoing tone was the assurance she needed. Something unusual was going on, but Naruto's casual disposition at least told her no one was injured. Still, she scanned the room, assessing the situation. Shikamaru and Sasuke hadn't looked up from where they sat on the sofa, a dozen maps and papers spread out before them on the coffee table. The snippets of conversation she caught told her Shikamaru was trying to get a better understanding of the geography in the northeast territory of Earth Country; it was a place that Sasuke had spent more time in during his travels than the rest of them had. On the other side of the room, Kakashi spoke with Anko and Genma. Sai and Ino were in the kitchen. If Sakura knew her childhood friend well enough, Ino was making tea for everyone.

"What's going on, Naruto?"

"Ah, not much," Naruto chuckled humorlessly. "Just the first serious threat since the Akatsuki."

Sakura's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Everyone's almost here. Kaka-sama and Shikamaru will explain."

It wasn't reassuring, though. "Why are we meeting here?"

"Kakashi thought it'd be too noticeable if all of us arrived at the Hokage Tower at the same time. He didn't want the villagers or other staff to get worried."

Because there was a legitimate reason to be worried. Sakura had seen all of these friends and comrades in the same setting for funerals, social gatherings, and village events. But she hadn't seen all of them together for a non-domestic reason since the Akatsuki War.

With Shino and Lee approaching the gates outside, Naruto brushed a hand over her shoulder and went to greet them. Sakura headed toward the kitchen for Sai and Ino.

"Hey, Ugly," Sai greeted. "Can't believe you let them drag you out of the hospital."

It made her smile some. Little did he know, their other teammate had said the exact same thing.

Sakura approached Ino. The two of them exchanged worried glances, but Ino said nothing, so Sakura didn't either. They wrapped an arm around each other's waists.

"Yeah, it's not exactly an ordinary occurrence." Sakura pressed her lips together. "Did they tell you guys anything yet?"

"No," Ino sighed. "Sai knows something, but it's from his ANBU missions, so he won't tell me."

Sai did his girlfriend the courtesy of appearing guilty over it. When Ino rolled her eyes, it was rather halfhearted. Sakura wondered when Sai planned to propose to Ino; if he was waiting for the right time, right times were hard to come by for shinobi.

The blonde kunoichi released her sisterly embrace of Sakura when the tea kettle whistled. Sai and Sakura helped her prepare the rest of the tea and brought it out to their comrades.

Kakashi did what he most hated to do in his job as the Hokage: assume the role of the leader in a room full of competent shinobi who didn't need him, but somehow trusted him, to take charge.

"Alright, everyone," he announced. "Let's get started."

Everyone gathered around the large tatami in the dining hall. Sakura found a seat between Ino and Kurenai; she must have been the last to arrive after Lee and Shino.

"Thank you for making tea, Ino," Kakashi added.

She smiled, pleased, but everyone could see that she was nervous. After all, it takes one to know one. Everyone in the room was on-edge.

"I'll cut straight to the point, seeing as I'm sure none of you are ignorant of how serious this might be." Kakashi ran a hand through his disheveled silver hair. "Last year, our friends in the Hidden Village of Mist alerted the kages about a militant criminal organization developing in the outskirts of the Country of Water. It didn't concern the Mizukage at first, but then they tracked the organization moving past their own borders. As you all know, the Water Country has birthed many dark enterprises and black markets, but it's only been since the alliance that we've been more privy to the information."

No one interrupted, not even Naruto or Lee, so he continued.

"At the same time, our ANBU scouts and Sand shinobi stationed at the coastlines noticed that rogue shinobi were being recruited from the Land of Fire, Air, and Earth; mostly shinobi with trauma from the Akatsuki War who lost purpose in peace time with the alliance. At first, it looked like ordinary gangs or trouble-makers, but then we noticed that recruitment was intentional, and that their movements were organized. We just didn't know by whom or for what purpose."

"You discerned it's the same organization the Mizukage told you about?" Ino guessed.

"Yes. Between the kages' advisers coordinating together, it was an easy enough conclusion to verify, but that was the extent of our information."

"Until last month," Shikamaru took over. "We had been intercepting messages by the coastline and usual transnational communication routes to Lands of Earth and Water, but it was all encoded. The decryption team was able to crack the code, and has been translating old messages. Working alongside an ANBU team assigned to us, we identified who is leading the organization."

"Who?" Lee asked, his dark eyes wide and exuberant. "For what purpose?"

"His name is Daishiro," Kakashi answered. "At least that's what he's called. None of you would likely know him. Ten years ago, he was a nobody, but apparently an intelligent 'nobody.' The Akatsuki dominated the underground criminal network, but then we defeated them, and a power vacuum emerged. It would seem Daishiro has been capitalizing on that over the last few years."

"But the alliance is strong," Naruto protested. "Stronger than anyone would have predicted."

"Exactly the problem," Shikamaru sighed.

"How do you figure?" Genma asked.

"We were so focused on international diplomacy, rebuilding our villages, creating new economic partnerships, and all together feeling content with the peace. We gave ourselves too much credit. The lower crime rates and lack of criminal activity we observed, it wasn't because of us, or at least only because of us. It was because Daishiro, a civilian, was weeding out the weaker gangs and consolidating his movement with the stronger ones. He didn't want to be noticed while he did it."

"He's a civilian?" Shino asked.

"Yes," Kakashi answered. "But he's not to be underestimated. He's clearly well-respected and capable. Not to mention, he's inspired many rogue-nin and even current shinobi to his cause."

"What do you mean, current shinobi?" Kurenai asked.

She had been pregnant with Asuma's child during the Akatsuki War and had to sit those battles out. This time, she was ready to jump back into action and be of service.

"The more recent intel that we intercepted being sent back to their organization in Earth Country was too specific and detailed. I'm confident they have at least one well-placed spy in our village. Maybe even in my office."

It had been a long time since Sakura had heard Kakashi say something so gravely. Her stomach churned.

"As for their cause," Kakashi said, but then sighed. "Sai, tell them about the mission."

Sakura wondered if this was the mission that Sasuke had 'offered to help' with, and did her best to remain apathetic.

"We were able to capture the brother of Daishiro's second-in-command. After interrogation, he revealed that Daishiro has discovered an ancient method for harvesting chakra."

Interrogation was a lofty way to describe genjutsu torture by the Uchiha clan, Sakura thought grimly. For the first time, she looked to Sasuke in her peripheral vision. He was seemingly unconcerned, sipping tea.

"Harvesting chakra?" Naruto scratched his head. "What does that even mean?"

It was a good question. Sakura knew a great deal about chakra, but wasn't familiar with that terminology.

Sai shrugged. "We weren't sure. It's likely even our target didn't know. That was as much information as we gathered."

Shikamaru picked it up again. "After consulting with the decryption team, Sai's ANBU team, and other intel the kages had passed forward, we at least figured out what they plan to do next."

"What?" Naruto clamored.

Whatever Naruto had been briefed on, Sakura realized, it hadn't been the entirety of it. She wondered why Kakashi and Shikamaru would have excluded him, but then it dawned on her.

"They want to harvest the chakra from Naruto."

Everyone turned to her.

"You think they mean chakra harvesting the same as we mean organ harvesting in medical ninjutsu, don't you?" Sakura asked Shikamaru and Kakashi, who looked at her without a hint of surprise. "And due to the kyuubi, Naruto has an immense amount of chakra worth harvesting."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Naruto groaned. "Not this again."

Sasuke put his tea down. "What would harvesting it do?"

It seemed he hadn't been debriefed to this extent either.

"We've been trying to figure that out. Most likely, some sort of weapon, or political leverage," Kakashi said. "But two more immediate concerns have presented since Sai's ANBU team returned."

Everyone looked at him and waited.

"On what we at first thought was entirely unrelated, ANBU identified a plot to assassinate me next week on my usual stroll through the memorial gardens."

Naruto grimaced. "Next week?"

"Yes. At the same time, we received a strange mission request. A private entrepreneur offered what was basically a blank check for the most exceptional team of shinobi and a medical ninja with superior skill. There were no details due to an alleged need for extreme confidentiality, but it's time sensitive. The shinobi would be needed by next week. The only thing he was adamant about was that for the price he'd pay, he insisted on the strongest and most famous shinobi Konoha had to offer."

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other. After saving the world from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, it was obvious that the requester meant them. Then, they looked at Sakura, the medical ninja with superior skill. It was all too obvious. But Sakura didn't blink, staring and waited for Kakashi to go on.

"Shikamaru identified enough obvious markers that the two incidents were related."

Shikamaru clarified, "Primarily, the assassin obviously wanted to ensure Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura would be outside of the village at the time of the attack."

"Why, though?" Sakura murmured. "It's not even guaranteed we'd be near Kakashi at the time of the attack. He goes on strolls through the memorial garden alone. The only time the four of us are together are on weekly team dinners."

"Which are inconsistent at best," Kakashi added.

"Exactly," Shikamaru said. "It was too incongruent."

Naruto sighed in aggravation. "Okay, so you're saying, they wanted it to be obvious? So they _didn't _want us to leave?"

"Meaning they do want you all to be here?" Ino prompted.

"No," Sakura guessed, her words quiet. "They actually do want us to leave. They're counting on us calling them out on the first bluff only. Didn't you say you shouldn't have known this was connected with Daishiro's group? They weren't planning on you putting two and two together."

"Correct," Shikamaru said. "If Sasuke hadn't pulled the information out during interrogation, we would have no reason to connect the two."

"What information? The chakra harvesting bit?" Naruto scrambled to understand.

Sasuke understood now. He looked at his best friend with something like tiredness. "If you're outside of the village on a mission, you'll be easier to kidnap, dobe."

Shikamaru and Kakashi looked at Sakura, a sort of warning or preamble to what would come next. But she already knew.

"So, we protect Naruto," Ino said. "Just like last time. If the Akatsuki couldn't get to him, these losers can't."

"It's not that simple," Kakashi said. "And it's not just Naruto they're after."

Slowly the room realized their Hokage and his Jonin Commander were looking at Haruno Sakura.

"Oh." It was Anko who understood first. "Oh, she's got a shit-ton of chakra stored behind that gem."

Sakura swallowed, but said nothing.

Naruto stood up. "Woah, hold on. They're going after Sakura-chan, too? How do you know that?"

"How long have you been storing chakra, Sakura?" It was Shikamaru who asked. He asked, but he already knew.

"Every day for five years."

Naruto was nervous. "Alright, so uh, how much chakra is that exactly?"

"Look at it this way," Kakashi said. "Sakura was a novice when she stored chakra for three years before the Akatsuki War, but she had enough chakra to withstand weeks of war, multiple battles, almost non-stop medical ninjutsu on gravely injured shinobi, an advanced summoning, transporting Obito through various space-realms, utilizing the 100 Healings Seal during combat, breaking a powerful genjutsu, traveling back to Konoha, and healing both her teammates who should have been dead."

Kakashi looked as though he wished he could be less proud. "Now, Sakura's no novice, and she's been storing it for almost twice as long."

Anko snorted. "Like I said. A shit-ton of chakra."

Naruto's cerulean eyes were wide. "Sakura-chan…"

She offered a tepid smile to Naruto. "It's fine, Naruto. Worry about yourself. You have a much larger target on your back. Everyone knows you're the jinchuriki who saved the world."

But there was something else to it. Before Sakura could ask, it was Sasuke who did.

"You said there was a spy who had specific information."

Kakashi looked at his old teammate. Then, "Yes. Shikamaru, tell her."

Shikamaru looked like he thought it was bothersome, but he turned toward Sakura again.

"Whoever the spy is, they've been monitoring you. We intercepted a note last week that outlined a skill-set evaluation and detailed schedule. We matched it to yours."

She felt Sasuke's stern gaze on her but wouldn't let herself look at him.

Ino and Kureani both put a protective hand on Sakura. "That's why the assassination plot is meant to get both Naruto and Sakura out of the village."

"Yes," Kakashi said. "That's what we're assuming so far."

"What are we going to do then?" Genma asked, thoughtful as he flicked a senbon in his mouth.

"Well, we can't remove the kyuubi without Naruto being killed in the process, but to mitigate one of the threats, we can remov–"

"Absolutely not." Sakura's words were sharper than any blade, any wind jutsu Naruto could summon.

"Look," Shikamaru sighed. "If you release the chakra, then they'd have no reason to target you."

Sakura looked to him as though she would murder him outright. "No."

"Why not, Sakura-chan?" Ino asked meekly. "At least it would keep you safe."

Sakura stood up, ready to leave the table and the conversation. "You would never ask Hinata or Sasuke to rip out their eyes. You wouldn't ask Shino to forfeit the bond with his clan's insects."

She put a protective grasp over her gem. "I don't have a bloodline limit. _This _is what I have."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. "Look, Sakura, it's not ideal, but it would at least be–"

"She's right." It was Sasuke who interrupted him.

Everyone was surprised to hear their least opinionated comrade and actually paused to hear him out.

"Most of us have clan specialties or bloodline limits. They're not something any of us would even think about sacrificing. Just because Sakura made her own power, instead of inheriting it, doesn't mean we have the right to tell her how to use it."

Sakura stared at him; she was so surprised her lips had parted. She quickly pressed them together again before anyone turned back to notice. Sasuke, for his part, looked unhappily at his tea.

Perhaps because she'd used him as an example, Shino nodded. "I agree with Uchiha."

"Me too," Naruto said with enthusiasm. "If Sakura-chan has chakra worth stealing, then she has chakra worth saving. Besides, since when do we negotiate with terrorists?"

Beneath his mask, Kakashi smiled. Sakura realized in looking at her old sensei that this might not have been the tactical plan Shikamaru preferred, but it was the one the Hokage had expected. She and Naruto sat back down, relieved.

"This leaves us with three objectives," Kakashi offered to the crowd. "First, we need to protect Naruto, Sakura, and any other shinobi in Konoha with immense amounts of chakra. This includes you, Anko."

She grunted. Her hand was wrapped behind her neck to touch her curse mark. "It's tumultuous, experimental chakra, not authentic chakra. I doubt it'd be of any use once it was extracted."

"We still have to be safe," Kakashi said, sounding as much like the Hokage as any of the previous figureheads. "Second, we have to find out what they plan to do with the harvested chakra. If they don't get it from a Leaf shinobi, there are other jinchuriki and powerful shinobi in the world. For now, Tenzo is on reconnaissance to try and locate Daishiro's headquarters. Lastly, we need to discern where the internal leak might be coming from."

_Who the mole might be_, Sakura thought.

"Those of you in this room, Gai, Iruka, Hinata, Kiba, Choji, Tenten, Tenzo, two ANBU I hand-selected, and two members of the decryption team that Shikamaru is personally overseeing are the only ones who can know about this."

The only ones he trusted went unspoken.

"Where is everyone else?" Naruto asked, recognizing the absence of several named comrades.

"A few of them are leading a team to protect me from my assassination."

"I thought you said you knew it was false," Ino exclaimed.

"But the council thinks it's true, and our enemy must think we do, too," Kakashi clarified. "They council has recommended both myself and the future Hokage-elect be guarded. Gai, Iruka, and Tenten are assigned to my protection; Lee and Genma, you are assigned to protect Naruto; and Kiba and Kureni are assigned to protect Naruto's wife and future child."

Naruto frowned. "Hinata-chan."

"Yes. I've already briefed Kiba. He's with her now."

Sakura couldn't help but wonder if it was pure dumb luck that Kiba hadn't been included in this part of the logistical planning, or if Kakashi knew more about her personal life than he'd ever admit. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"In order to maintain appearances, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, you will need to accept the mission. Shino will keep his tracker insects on each of you, and he'll follow with his team at a safe enough distance behind. Shino, Sai, and Choji will be your back-up if you're ambushed."

"It's in the northeast of Earth Country, isn't it?" Sakura turned to Shikamaru. "What are the disadvantages?"

It's why Shikamaru had been asking Sasuke questions about the routes and terrain.

"Plenty," Shikamaru began with a sigh.

And so they went around the room, planning strategy, debating tactics, and discussing team formations. When everyone settled into an uncomfortable expectation of how to proceed, Kakashi formally dismissed them with a reminder to keep quiet and stay alert.

"Sakura, can you stay for a few moments?" Kaka-sama asked her.

She nodded.

Everyone began to shuffle out. Sakura resigned herself to Kakashi's sofa in the front room, her legs curled up to her chest, her fingers instinctively placed on the gem atop her forehead. Before he left, Naruto walked over to her.

"You okay, Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah, Naruto," she smiled. "It's going to be fine."

"It will be. I'll make sure of it." He leaned down and planted a brotherly kiss on the very top of her head. "I'm going to check on Hinata-chan. I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," she promised.

More of the comrades said their farewell to her, a new sort of anxiousness in their eyes when they regarded her, and then they left. When Sasuke finished speaking with Shikamaru, the latter approached her.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Sakura." Shikamaru's words were honest. "I was just thinking of the tactical solution."

"I know," she said, her words kind. "Sorry for messing up your plans."

"Hm," he shrugged. "Out of everyone on Team Seven, you were the last one I expected to be so troublesome."

She smiled at him. "Guess they've rubbed off on me."

"It's probably a good thing," he muttered. Then, "See you later, Sakura."

"Good night, Shika."

As she watched him leave, she inevitably looked to Sasuke, too. He'd been standing only a few feet away during their conversation. She wondered if when Shikamaru left, he'd go out the door, too. But he didn't. He stood in the middle of the entryway, his back facing her. For half a moment, she let herself study him. It had been two and a half months since the night they fell asleep in front of her fire, kissing, touching, and resting in each other's arms.

_Kami, I miss him. _

Before _those _emotions could surface, she turned. If he hadn't left with Naruto or Shikamaru, she knew he'd leave soon. But others left, and he remained, until she knew it was only him and Kakashi. Inevitably, both of them came over to the sofa.

"What do you think, Sakura?" Kakashi asked her, taking a seat across from her.

She looked at her old sensei. With everyone else gone, he seemed less formal, more comfortable. Sasuke took the seat next to Kakashi, and she steadied herself. Had Kaka-sama asked him to stay, too? She hadn't heard that but assumed as much.

"I'd need to look into older texts, but I think there were a few procedures that were removed from medical ninjutsu practice after the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara established the village. It wasn't just protecting children from war that motivated them, but restricting all unethical shinobi practices. If Tsunade-sama included the books from her grandfather's reign that she gifted to me, I might be able to learn more about older practices. Maybe even something about chakra harvesting. I can check the town and hospital's library, too."

"Without researching, can you think of what harvested chakra might be good for? From a medical standpoint?"

She had been thinking about this since it was first brought up.

"Not really," she admitted with uncertainty, but she had another concern in her mind. "Have you heard of black powder?"

Kakashi shook his head to indicate that he hadn't, but Sasuke looked over to her. "Kabuto and Orichamaru used it."

She nodded. "We use it sometimes in medical ninjutsu. The largest and most affordable source of it comes from the northeast corridor of Earth Country, where you think this organization might be based."

"What does it do?" Kakashi asked.

"Not much," Sakura answered. "Medicinally, it can help with a few skin conditions. Some people use it to repel insects. But a few months ago, I read reports from medical ninja in that same region of Earth Country who were meddling with its properties, heating it at an increased rate, to attempt to create a sort of liquid elixir for healthier skin. They accidentally discovered that it could cause an explosion."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked carefully. "Without jutsu, it explodes?"

"No jutsu, no ninja specialities, no nothing," Sakura answered. "It's just an element from the ground. But under the right conditions, it can be weaponized. Even by civilians."

Kakashi thought about this for a few moments. He looked at Sasuke. "Can you remember anything during your time with Orichamaru about chakra harvesting, or this black powder?"

Sasuke's lips seemed etched into a permanent frown. Even when he talked, it looked like it was part of him. "It wasn't something I paid enough attention to. I didn't care to be involved with their experiments. I think I remember Kabuto using the black powder for an elixir after the Third damaged Orichamaru's arms, but that's all."

Sakura nodded. "That sounds right."

Kakashi tapped his fingers on his knee. "It is the first time I can remember considering a credible threat of an enemy who is not a shinobi, but a civilian. Then, for the first time, I'm hearing about a weapon that is not ninjutsu-related, but one a civilian can form. And both of them have ties to the same corner of the country in the same land."

Sakura hummed. "That's what I was thinking, Kaka-sama."

"On the mission, we'll need to confirm Daishiro is from or based near that part of Earth Country," Sasuke said.

Sakura agreed. "We should all stay for reconnaissance, not just protect Naruto or I from being taken."

"Or from being killed," Kakashi added, remembering when Hinata's father was almost kidnapped, but Neji's went instead. "From a medical ninjutsu standpoint, isn't there still chakra in a dead ninja's body?"

Sakura had thought about that, too. Reluctantly, she answered. "Yes."

"That would make it even easier for them to succeed. It's difficult to kidnap two highly-skilled shinobi and control them enough to harvest chakra from them, whatever that process might be. But if they can get lucky enough to kill and take at least one of you, it might be enough for whatever they require."

"That's not going to happen." Sasuke sounded agitated, but not concerned.

Sakura's heart suspended itself between swelling and sinking. She looked to Kakashi. "I should go to the library to research and read, Kaka-sama. We only have a few days to figure this out."

"There's one problem with that," Kakashi refuted.

She only had the luxury of being confused for a few seconds. Then she remembered. "Oh. I'm being watched."

"You and Naruto, I assume," Kakashi said. "We should only have one advantage right now – that they think we are falling for the assassination plot. Whatever breaks in your ordinary routine have to appear for a normal reason or like one connected to an attempted assassination. This meeting, for instance, can be chalked up as the latter."

"So no long nights in the Konoha libraries," Sakura sighed. "Well, I guess I can hope there are some books from the Senju clan in Tsunade's collection."

Sasuke tilted his head. It caught both of their attention.

"The Uchiha compound." Sasuke said it with a hint of hesitation. "There's thousands of books. Most of them are older. I'm certain many of them are from Madara's time."

"Perfect," Kakashi said.

It didn't sound perfect to Sakura.

"It's not exactly typical for me to spend my free time at the Uchiha compound either," Sakura said, hoping she didn't sound as bitter as she felt.

"Well, that's actually why I asked the two of you to stay."

Kakashi's words caught her by surprise. If discussing her, Orichamaru and Kabuto's relevant medical nin knowledge wasn't the reason, what was it? From what she could tell, Sasuke didn't know, either.

"There is a chance that whomever is working for Daishiro to spy on the Leaf could have been present tonight, or is closely affiliated with someone we've involved."

Sakura raised her brows. "You don't trust everyone who was here? Or the others involved?"

"Maybe I would have, once. But if Obito could have been corrupted, I realize now that anyone can. I'm not going to make that mistake twice."

Kakashi actually looked sad, so Sakura didn't protest further. "Alright. So what does this mean?"

"It means the only three people that I will truly trust to protect you and Naruto, are Shikamaru, Kurenai," and then he turned, facing the man beside him, "and Sasuke."

It was so silent there were several heartbeats. Sakura had nothing to say, (_Kami, did she have so much to say, after all those years of fighting for him to come home, mourning his status as a traitor, as a criminal, and now he's here, and he's one of the only ones Kakashi can trust, one of the only ones trustworthy enough to protect her and the next Hokage, because he's Sasuke, and he belongs here, and he's part of our home, our team, our family)_ so she kept her lips pressed to a tight close.

"If Daishiro has a spy with close enough access, he'll be reporting back that we know about the chakra harvesting, assassination decoy plot, _and _the mole."

Sakura's shoulders tightened, adrenaline suddenly coursing through her veins. "Then you just showed all of your cards. Everything earlier, that was all for show."

"Yeah," Kakashi admitted, and she swore there was a cheeky grin underneath his mask. "How'd I do?"

Even Sasuke grunted in surprise. "You were convincing."

"Good." Kakashi quickly returned to his more serious self. "This will put Daishiro in a difficult position. Difficult positions are when enemies scramble to change their plans, rush into a new one, and make mistakes."

It was Sasuke who seemed to understand first. "You think he'll have the spy act now, before it's too late, right here in the village. To try and kill Sakura or Naruto and leave, while we're distracted with decoy plots."

Despite herself, Sakura's skin on her arms raised with goosebumps. It was chilling to hear Sasuke discuss her and Naruto being killed in such a simple, possible manner. To think the morning had started off as just an ordinary day; even an exciting one, with her new program development for the clinic, if not necessarily a good one. Good days didn't feel possible anymore after what had happened between her and Sasuke.

"It was Shikamaru who thought of it first," Kakashi admitted. "But yes, I do. He and Kurenai are the only other ones who have been briefed to this extent. It isn't Hinata who Kurenai will be protecting, but Naruto. Hinata is going to be diagnosed with false pregnancy complications that restrict her to bedrest, which should keep Naruto at home, and be a valid enough excuse for Kureani to stay close by for a couple days."

"What about briefing Naruto and Hinata?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi paused. In an instant, Sakura became furious. While much had changed over the years, her short fuse did not.

"You _cannot _let him think his baby's life is in jeopardy."

"It's not ideal, but it's temporary, until–"

"Kakashi." She glared at him. If she heard leadership explain something as 'not ideal' one more time tonight she was going to toss him through a wall. "His wife and that baby are the _only _family Naruto has ever had."

It was silent for another moment.

"Alright," Kakashi conceded. "We'll include him. It will just be more preparation for when he becomes Lord Seventh."

There was a slight hint of humor in his tone. Sakura relaxed. But all she said was, "Good."

"That leaves us with you," Kakashi said, as formal as before. It made Sakura nervous; she knew he'd spent tonight switching various hats for his different roles, and right now when he spoke like the Hokage, it meant there was less she could argue over.

"You don't have many friends or family you associate with, which left us with limited options."

Sakura remembered how this conversation began with her mentioning the infrequency of which she inhabited the Uchiha compound, and a slow, frightening sort of understanding began to weigh on her.

"I don't need protection," Sakura said, almost successful in keeping her tone as even as steel. "Don't you think the damsel in distress arc is rather dated, Kaka-sama?"

He chuckled, but he was serious. "You're a close friend of Leaf's Hokage, famous sannin, the world's best medical ninja after only Tsunade-sama herself, and a powerful chakra storehouse. That makes you a high-priority target, not a damsel."

She wanted to protest on those notes, but since she couldn't, she folded her arms and tried another approach. "Still, it wouldn't be normal for me to spend consecutive days with Sasuke at his home."

It hurt to say the words, Kami did it hurt, but she refused to let either of them know it. Though she could feel Sasuke's mismatched eyes all but burning into the side of her skull, she couldn't look at him. He'd figure her out in a second.

"Actually," Kakashi said, a light and casual counter. "The note we intercepted last week suggested they think otherwise."

He pulled out a scroll from his jacket. When he unrolled it, Sakura saw the decrypted annotation was written above the nonsense of the code. Kakashi handed it to her. It read:

_SPR strength - adv. Med nin - adv. _

_Wtr-style abv avg. Genju observ abv avg/perform avg. _

_Taij- avg but SPR strength. Do not underest. _

_Smn pact- adv. _

_No b/l. _

_Chkr - __**superior**__! _

_Consist sched- hospital M-R, training F-Sa, team F pm, Su open. _

The first part must have been the evaluation of her skills and schedule that Shikamaru had matched to her. It was obvious enough. Then it concluded with:

_Very close team. Wkly F din._

_Min friends. No fam._

_Rare social eng. _

_Lkly w/ Sharingan-user. _

_Grt thrt: prox to S-user- don't engage._

The greatest threat was her proximity to Uchiha Sasuke. She clutched the paper. They hadn't the slightest clue how true those words were to her heart. Wordlessly, she handed the paper to Sasuke. While at first he looked agitated, by the time he finished reading the note, he seemed relieved. Sakura wasn't sure if it made her want to smack him or be held by him.

"So," Sakura sighed, admitting defeat. "If I want to keep my chakra out of enemy hands, then I need to limit their opportunities to access it."

It was unarguably the most tactical manner in which to describe hanging out with Sasuke.

Kakashi agreed. "For the next few days, after work and in-between your usual public outings, find an excuse to spend time together. Especially on Sunday."

Kakashi had to know what he was asking of her, of them, but it was not the suggestion of a former sensei; it was the commandment of their Hokage during a credible threat to the village.

"Do you understand?"

Sakura looked to see if Sasuke was in agreement with this plan. After all, it affected him as much as her. He didn't hesitate, though.

"Understood."

Kakashi then looked to the kunoichi in question.

_This has nothing to do with what's happened between Sasuke or how I feel. This is only about being responsible with my stored chakra and protecting my village. _

"Yeah," she answered. "Understood."

"Alright then." Kakashi sounded relieved. "Then we have at least one defense measure in place, albeit a predictable one."

Sakura's lips twitched. "I have a second one that isn't."

Both men looked at her questioningly; the silver-haired kage with brows raised, the mismatched eyes of the Uchiha narrowed.

Sakura gingerly lifted both of her hands. Without so much as blinking, her hands abruptly wrapped with powerful, vibrating chakra. It was not the soft, green aura of her healing chakra. It was the electric blue of deadly chakra scalpels.

Kakashi's eyes widened. "It's notoriously difficult for even the best medical nin to utilize chakra scalpels throughout combat sequences."

There were only a limited amount of solo missions Sakura had been assigned to that could have invited an opportunity to practice such combat sequences without their knowledge, and she'd never reported back about anything so consequential.

"I know." For the first time in awhile, Sakura lit up with a genuine smile. "But I can."

"Ah." Underneath his mask, Kakashi smiled just as widely. "I'm not surprised, Sakura."

Sasuke stared at the deadly weapon easily conjured on Sakura's delicate hands. And though there was no way for her to realize it, he also stared at the thin, silver bracelet with the disfigured diamond cut that revealed itself on her wrist.

.

.

.

There was nothing more surreal to Sakura than leaving a long shift from the hospital with an overnight pack slung over her shoulder as she headed to the Uchiha compound instead of her own home. Since the reason for it was for her own protection, she made a point of loudly mentioning to the staff that she "was off to see Sasuke-kun." She felt sick with nervousness.

Since she hadn't suppressed her chakra, which would have given him ample notice to disappear into his home if he'd wanted, she took it for whatever it was worth that when she approached the compound he was waiting outside.

Sakura wasn't sure what to expect, but this wasn't it. Sasuke was busy with landscaping work, ripping up dead trees and decaying architecture. When he looked over to her approaching figure, he wasn't angered, distracted, or even avoidant. He seemed soft; like an ordinary person, not a ruthless shinobi, nor a teammate with a haunted past. Soft was not a manner in which she'd ordinarily describe Uchiha Sasuke, but that's how he looked now. Of course, he was still silent though. When she neared, he stuck the shovel into the dirt, leaned against it, and just looked at her.

"Need help?"

That wasn't what she planned to say, but her heart must have wanted to continue protecting itself. Unable to be honest and vulnerable, offering to do landscape work seemed like a better option.

He didn't answer, but he lifted the shovel to her.

For the next hour she helped him rip out old plants and stone. It was a quiet affair. Since Sakura had two hands and enhanced strength, it was actually plausible that she was there to be of service. Even if they both knew it wasn't the reason for her visit.

When they finished, they stood and admired their handiwork without any real admiration. Too stubborn or too scared to make another attempt at bridging this new, far more treacherous chasm between them, Sakura withdrew into herself. It was unlikely Sasuke would speak first, which only served to discourage her more. She counted the seconds of unbearable silence left, staring at dead foliage and broken stone. She figured she'd need to make some sort of ancillary comment in _three, two, on_-

The tear must have formed and fell with stealth; she didn't notice it until Sasuke lifted a hand and carefully used the back of his forefinger to catch it. For the first time, she looked up to him, and really looked at him.

His ordinarily stern features were still soft. She realized now the softness was what it looked like for Sasuke to be in pain.

Another tear fell, and his fingers were already there, so he caught that one, too.

Her shoulders tightened. "You agreed to this. My being here for several days. Pretending it's normal. Why?"

Sasuke released his touch, his hand slowly returning to his side. He didn't answer her, but asked his own question. "Why are you still wearing the bracelet?"

Of course she was still wearing his mother's bracelet. The only night she'd taken it off was the night she went out to look for trouble, trouble that ended up in the form of a regretful night spent with Kiba, and she swore she'd never take it off again.

Sasuke moved to pick up the overnight bag she'd left on the ground. He put it over his shoulder.

"Come on," he said, and led her inside.

Though Sakura had been to Sasuke's home on plenty of occasions, this was different. There was no clutter and commotion from their team, and no momentum of planned activities. It was too calm and quiet.

"Kitchen's stocked," Sasuke said, gesturing toward the cabinets, and then he moved down the hall on the right. From previous visits, Sakura knew this hall had the guest bathroom and several other rooms, while his master bedroom was on the other side of the kitchen. He opened the door to a room on the far left of the hall.

When Sakura looked inside, she saw stacks of fresh linen and towels on the bed.

"Thank you," she said, suddenly feeling even more overwhelmed at the circumstances.

Sasuke lifted her bag, and she took it.

"I invited the other lieutenants to come over for a meeting, if you want to come out for appearances sake."

"I will," she said, pretending to take it as any normal mission operative.

She was here for strategy, after all.

Sasuke departed down the hall, and Sakura went to evaluate what he'd prepared for her. She felt the towels, fluffy and thick, and grabbed two of them before heading to the shower.

.

.

Sakura wrapped her long, wet hair and pinned it up. There were a variety of voices in the common room, none of them familiar enough to place. She wore a matching set of wine red satin pajamas, a cropped top with thin-straps and jogger-style pants, grateful for the confidence that came with toned muscle and superior strength. Ordinarily she wouldn't have wanted to interrupt a private meeting between the Konoha Police Force leadership, but Sasuke had said it was the point of hosting it in the compound. So, she pretended it was utterly normal for her to enter the room and head toward the kitchen for a snack, fresh out of his shower with wet hair, pajamas, and apparent plans to spend the night.

Heads turned and voices came to a halt, but Sakura kept moving toward the kitchen.

"Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting. Sasuke-kun, Lieutenants," she nodded politely, approaching his kitchen counter. The granite countertop overlooked the living room where Sasuke, five men, and three women sat in a circle. Their surprise was evident.

"It's alright, Sakura," Sasuke said easily, and while he was not allowed to look surprised, she saw the manner in which his gaze evaluated her figure. "We'll be another hour."

"Okay," she smiled, taking an apple from the basket of produce he had on his counter. "Is it alright if I make tea?"

"That's fine," he said, running a hand through his still wet hair. Though they had showered after doing yard work, and they had done it separately, she knew that wasn't what it looked like. "While the water boils, could you look at Lt. Sato's shoulder?"

"Of course."

"Oh no," one of the men, presumably Lt. Sato, protested. "I'm sure it's just strained."

"It's no problem," Sakura insisted.

After placing the kettle on the stove, she walked over to the group of lieutenants. Lt. Sato had to have only been a few years younger than her own father, and he had a kind, weathered face. When she stood behind him, she activated her healing chakra between both her hands.

"May I?" She asked.

With slight embarrassment in his nod, Sato agreed. Sakura rested her hands atop his shoulder and neck, evaluating the source of the injury and pain. She looked up at the various eyes on her.

"Have I treated any of you before?"

Almost half of them nodded. She figured a few, but didn't expect that much, seeing as none of the faces looked familiar enough to place.

"Elbow surgery," one of the women said.

"Rib fractures," another man said.

"Torn knee ligaments."

"A knife wound."

"Oh," Sakura said, smile softening, "Well, don't be shy, ask for me anytime, even if you don't think it's serious."

Then she looked down at Lt. Sato. "You have a torn shoulder labrum, for instance. This happened several days ago, didn't it?"

"Eh," he offered a guilty laugh. "Yes, on Tuesday."

"No need to suffer pointlessly, especially when it will only interfere with your ability to operate in the field." Then, she put both hands on his injured shoulder. "You're going to feel a sharp tug, then mild tenderness, but it won't hurt afterwards."

He nodded. Sakura seeped her chakra into the labrum and stitched it back together again. It was an easy enough fix and only took two moments.

"That should do it," she said, deactivating her chakra.

"Thank you, Dr. Haruno." Happily, he rolled his shoulder with ease, and without pain.

"Please," she dismissed, and headed back toward the kitchen as the tea kettle began to whistle. "Sakura is fine."

After pouring her cup of tea and taking one of the prepared green tea bags, Sakura added honey, grabbed the apple she wasn't hungry for, and offered another polite wave before disappearing down the hall. As she settled onto Sasuke's guest bed, crossing her legs and nursing her tea, she wondered how it could be possible that pretending to be domesticated was the most complicated mission she'd been on.

The next few days weren't going to be easy.

.

.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ You probably noticed the author's intrusion: the damsel in distress arc is absolutely dated. Yet, forcing them together is of course a guilty pleasure. I've tried to ensure minimal damseling and distressing in the next chapter. You'll have to let me know though. And for those who may have not guessed or googled, black powder by name and description in this chapter is the original form of gunpowder discovered by Taoists before being weaponized around 904 A.D.

\- H


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Thank you for following along with this story, and for those of you who took a moment to review, I appreciate it. As this is 'mostly canon' but not completely, let me mention in this chap I introduce a character who I created to help move the plot arc along. If you're one of my original readers who felt torn about Sakura's coping mechanisms, I went back and added a Warning/Update at the beginning of Chapter 5 if you're interested.

After this chap, the slow burn heats up. For my veteran Naruto fans, you remember the _years_ of painfully wondering if and how Sasuke and Sakura would end up together? This was not a relationship that was ever taken for granted or promised to be canon. With how awful Sasuke treated Sakura toward the end, some of us even wondered if we wanted them to get together anymore. At least not with Sakura's dignity intact. Luckily, it all worked out. But my goal has always been to be realistic in their bonding to show how they mature and create intimacy, despite their individualism, pain, and trauma. Hope I do them and you justice in the chapters ahead.

With love, H.

* * *

**Something Left**

Chapter 7

"I don't hate you

I don't hate you

I don't hate you

I don't hate you, no"

_Lyrics of Savior by Rise Against_

* * *

It was quiet now that the other lieutenants had left and his house-guest was either sleeping or avoiding him. Sasuke stood at the far side of the den, where an entire wall made of paneled windows overlooked a balcony and private backyard. The sun had set hours prior and there was not much to see, but too much to think over.

Not many missions or assignments gave Sasuke pause or reason to feel concerned. This one felt different though. Waiting in his home for someone he trusted to attack the people he loved wasn't just too personal, but too familiar. He kept his katana at his hip, resting one hand atop the hilt.

Her footsteps were quiet, but even when he heard her approach, he didn't have it in him to turn. There was too much he was not in control over right now, and he realized none of it was a position he felt comfortable being in.

"Have you heard from Naruto?" Sakura asked.

He had. The hawk that Sasuke sent to Naruto returned with a note only a few minutes beforehand. Despite himself, Sasuke was impressed with the dobe's decision.

"Yes." Sasuke didn't sound pleased. "He thinks it's better if he keeps his distance from us. If there's only one spy, they'll have to choose just one target. If there's a group, they'll have to split up. Either way, it 'gives us the advantage.'"

Sakura deliberated. "Naruto's chakra source probably makes him the better target, but he's stronger than I am. I'd be the easier target."

The easier target. Sasuke remembered the first time he'd seen Sakura's strength on the battlefield, sending hundreds of the Ten Tail's fission beings flying through the air. When he'd told Naruto afterward not to drag him and Sakura down, it wasn't entirely in jest.

Sasuke felt agitated, uncertain of why or what to do about it. He just said, "We don't know enough yet."

"That's what I wanted to ask you about," Sakura said, and even though he faced the window, he'd bet she was pulling at her fingers, straining and healing them. "Can you show me the books you mentioned?"

He'd prepared a teleportation jutsu for that. In case she was still being watched, it'd be pointless if someone saw them walking from his home to the other side of the compound. Hopefully the spy was not a sensory-type. Inevitably, Sasuke turned around.

It shouldn't have surprised him, but it did. She wore a black robe over her pajamas that went to her knees, hiding the ninja pack attached to her hip and two kunai wrapped around her left thigh. A thin black ribbon was tied around her neck like a choker, and while it first looked like a necklace he'd never seen on her before, he then noticed the tiny printed seal written onto it. It was an old trick used by kunoichi in undercover situations that required civilian clothing and jewelry; he wasn't sure what it summoned, but assuredly some sort of weapon. Maybe just her gloves.

"We'll teleport." Sasuke lifted his elbow, offering his good arm to her. Sakura accepted it, reminding herself not for the first time that this was part of a mission, too.

When they arrived, Sakura could hardly believe her eyes. What had once been buried in secrecy by the previous Uchiha generations was now put onto a beautiful, extensive display. It was a large, grand room with high ceilings and wood shelves that went just as high. Endless rows of texts were organized neatly with specially placed lights and markings to designate the content: history, geography, ninjutsu, clan history, clan ninjutsu, botany, political theory, military theory, village policy, police procedures, poetry, and even fiction. It seemed endless.

"Wow," Sakura couldn't help but exclaim. "This is incredible."

On the only wall that wasn't occupied by shelves, Sakura saw old framed paintings and photographs. It was the Uchiha Clan in its prime: regal, gorgeous homes, throngs of Uchiha-crested men and women, ink-black haired children partaking in festivities, and police academy graduates and officers posed for a portrait outside of the gleaming Uchiha Police Station.

Of course the battle against Uchiha Madara had enlightened her to the significance of their clan, but looking at the photos while surrounded by what they had left behind, Sakura became overwhelmed at all that the Uchiha were, and could have been. Whatever remained of their influence, power, and wealth now only existed in this room and with one person.

Wealth. Sasuke had to be the wealthiest person she knew, if he'd inherited all of this and more from his entire clan. He sure didn't act like it or show it off, though.

At that moment, Sakura felt the instinctive, uncontrollable sensation of an epiphany. Slowly, she turned back to Sasuke, her lips parted in a soft 'oh.'

"Are you… are you the private donor who's been funding the children's clinic?"

Sasuke blinked. He thought she had already known that, and if not, that she never would. There was a long moment before he answered. "The clan is, technically."

She was incredulous. Like it had just happened that morning, she remembered both the heartache of when Sasuke left Konoha after his probation, and then the ecstatic joy the very next day when Kakashi announced an anonymous donor would help get the clinic started.

Sakura shook her head. "But you didn't even know what it was for..."

He almost shrugged; it was more like a gentle, unassuming roll of his shoulders. "I didn't need to know. Kakashi said there was something important you wanted to do, but the village didn't have the funds for it."

She stared at him, stunned. It had cost _millions_ of dollars to start, not to mention the cost to keep it running over the years. "T-then it should be named after you. After your family. It should be the _Uchiha _Children's Mental Health Clinic."

Her words were a sputtered attempt to say thank you, but Sasuke hadn't done it for thanks. "It wasn't for recognition. It was for you."

Sakura felt like the world she knew crashed around her. Two truths swarmed up, strong river rapids that took her, pulling her under. First, that all of these years, her clinic and her work had only been made possible by Sasuke.

And second, that her most recent proposal to start a new program was only approved because the private donor - because _Sasuke_ gave more than enough funds to cover it. Even though they hadn't been talking or seeing each other. Even though she was certain he'd discerned what had happened between her and Kiba.

Before she could recover enough to form words, Sasuke turned back to her.

"It's you who takes care of my family's graves and visits Itachi's monument when I'm gone, isn't it?"

But it wasn't a question. There were only a handful of people who knew the obsidian monument had been established in Itachi's honor. Through the process of elimination, it wouldn't have been difficult to figure out.

"Someone has to." It was as quiet as her breaths.

But he didn't accept her nonchalance. "Even when I left you this time. You still honored them."

Sakura studied the photograph of Uchiha children playing, holding hands, dancing, and laughing. It was the childhood Sasuke should have had, but didn't. It was stolen from him.

Eventually, she spoke. "Of course I did. Just because you do something that hurts me, it doesn't mean I love you any less. That's not how it works."

It was the first time since the Fourth Shinobi World War that Sakura mentioned her love for him. It had no plea. There was no emotion-charged fanfare. It was just a simply stated truth.

For awhile they stood there, both of them overwhelmed at the undeniable truth, the tangible proof, of how they cared for each other.

Maybe this was real love. The kind of love that is true, even when it hurts, when it doesn't make sense. Even when it doesn't have all the answers. It wasn't bouquets of flowers, decadent chocolates, or nervous laughter on planned dates. It was being who the other person needed, without them having to ask. It was giving everything to the other person, without expecting anything in return.

Sakura never felt more confident about her convictions. Yet her actions hadn't matched them. Sighing, she turned to Sasuke, forcing herself to do what needed to be done.

Because it was the truth, she said, "I shouldn't have slept with Kiba. I was drunk, and angry, and tired. I was so _tired _of being patient and perfect, as if what you do or don't do has no effect on me."

Sakura sighed. "Because it does. Kami, it does."

She waited for him to flinch, to be sarcastic, or to reveal any sort of bitterness. She waited for him to walk away – to leave.

Instead, he seemed to acquiesce. "I shouldn't have left. I... shouldn't have left without talking to you first. I knew that it would hurt you."

He looked disappointed; she realized it was not with her, but with himself.

"Then why did you?" It wasn't accusatory, but curious.

Not for the first time, Sasuke considered how another man would be far better for her. But he heard Naruto's stern words echo in his mind. '_She sure as hell deserves you._' Sakura was the most intelligent, compassionate, and fierce person that he knew, not to mention an incredibly attractive woman and talented shinobi. She could do anything she put her mind to, be with anyone she wanted to be with. Yet she fought for him, waited for him, and chose him. Sakura loved him. _So why won't I let her? _

He steadied his hand on the hilt of his katana, reassured by its familiar presence. When he finally found himself able to be honest with her, it was because of what he had learned from his brother. To love someone is to be selfless. Remembering the night in front of her fireplace when she'd asked him if he was sure, Sasuke started there.

"I told you that I was sure because I am sure about you, Sakura."

She stopped breathing, either because of the meaning in his words, or in fear of whatever words would come next. Maybe both.

"But I'm not sure about myself. The things that happened, what I've done. Who I've become. I've done nothing but hurt you."

Sakura cocked her head. It was often the first telltale sign that foreshadowed her loss of temper, but he dismissed it, assuming he misunderstood.

"Nothing but hurt me?" She repeated. "Are you clueless?"

When she crossed her arms, he realized he had it right the first time. She _was _angry with him.

"Maybe you can't, or don't want to, but I remember what it was like when we were kids." She turned toward the frames on the wall. They both looked at the Uchiha children who radiated joy and liveliness even through a printed photograph.

"I can still hear your laugh. I remember what you looked like when you smiled, when you made jokes. I can see in my mind like it was yesterday how excited you were when Itachi came to pick you up from the academy, or how silly and stubborn you acted when you tried to make your father proud. I was there when you were so young you didn't care if people watched your mother kiss your cheeks. Even at six years old, you were determined and true to yourself."

Sakura released her arms, her anger fading as fast as it had arrived. "You're not some monster who's done 'nothing' but terrible things to hurt me. You're that little boy, who went on to become my teammate, who grew up to be this man, to be _you_. And when I look at you, I'm not hurt; I'm inspired at what you've overcome. I mean, we were only twelve but you were already thinking of restoration, of rebuilding what was taken from you. Then, when you could have given up on everything, when you had every right to burn this village down, you chose not to. You chose to do what was right even when it was hard. You believed things could be better, and to this day, you're working toward making them better."

Sasuke stared at her, listening to her words that were as hot as a fire. Maybe warm and comforting, but frightening and fierce, able to burn if one got too close to the flames.

"It's not just what you do," she added, as if it was selfish of her to say. "Do you know what I do, what I think about, every single day?"

It sounded like she could laugh, but didn't. There was nothing humorous about it.

"I see and listen to kids who have experienced the most horrendous things. Who are grieving tremendous loss. By all rights, none of them should be alive, let alone ever be okay. But every day I work with them, thinking of you. If you could survive, if you could be resilient, then so can they. If you're here now, then one day, they'll still be here, too… So, if I can give them just a little bit of support and stability, then I can trust that it's possible for them to make it. If it weren't for you, I couldn't do it. But I see you, I see who you are now, and it gives me the hope I need to be there for them and give them the very best that I have."

She took a step forward, close enough to touch him, wanting to touch him. "I believe in you. Your brother believed in you. We _all_ believe in you. When are you going to start believing in yourself?"

If it was possible to rip through every defense the mind had, Sakura had just done it with the same ease of which she shattered boulders. Sasuke didn't realize his hand wavered until it slipped off his katana's hilt.

"All I've ever done is fight for a future that never felt like it would actually exist. Everything I've done has been to get to this point in time. Now that I'm almost there, I…"

As much as he tried, he couldn't find the words to finish the sentiment.

Sakura offered him her patient, crooked smile. "Now that it's almost real, you're not sure what to do with it?"

She was the last piece of the puzzle he'd spent his entire life trying to put together. Sasuke hadn't asked her to go on a date, or to be his girlfriend. Those concepts, those labels, were so trivial compared to what they had already established between each other. When he'd ask her to be with him, he knew they both understood each other's commitment. Sakura had spent her life promising herself to him, and Sasuke had declared his intentions to their team before he'd even understood what it would actually require to restore his clan. They both were old enough to understand it now. Sasuke had asked her to be with him, for all of it, for everything, but even when she'd accepted, he immediately found an excuse to run. Running, running towards or running away, was all he'd ever known.

Finally, Sasuke nodded.

Sakura seemed to think for awhile. She didn't seem concerned or uncertain, but thoughtful, as if working out a complicated math problem that she knew the steps to go through, but still needed a moment to solve.

"Well," she started, warmly. Evenly. Confidently. "I'm here when you're ready. I'll always be here."

Not for the first time, Sasuke found himself acknowledging that Sakura was strong and steady. That was her; strong, and steady. And not for the first time, he wished he could be half as strong, half as steady.

Sakura reached up to touch his face, just once, as if admiring a rare artifact. She brushed the back of her fingers against his cheek, traced them down his jaw, and then dropped her hand.

"I hope you know by now I don't expect you to be someone you're not."

Sasuke knew she meant this as a promise. It was not the first promise she'd made to him. Like the others, he cataloged it in his mind, something he knew he'd need to reference again and again. All her promises together were the strong foundation on which he stood as he'd tried to figure out their relationship. He went to them, reminded himself of them, and even treasured them, more often than she knew.

"I should hit the books," Sakura sighed, her eyes already roaming toward the ninjutsu section.

What Sakura hadn't understood as a child, she seemed to understand all too well now. Space and privacy were things Sasuke needed. As an orphan for most of his life, it was the only safe, familiar place that he knew how to operate within.

As Sakura moved toward the older books, Sasuke heard her promise in his mind. _I don't expect you to be someone you're not. _It was such a strange sensation; not only to know that someone could see the real you, but also to believe that they truly loved the real you.

If nothing else, he needed her to know he felt the same.

"Sakura."

She turned, putting both her hands on the bookshelf she leaned against, seemingly patient and unassuming. But he saw the spark of hope in her emerald orbs, the nervous clutch of her hands.

"You're not annoying."

Sakura lifted a brow, not sure if she should laugh or frown. In the past, Sasuke had ambiguously jested with those words, too young and tortured to be able to communicate his appreciation of her affection. But he could do better this time. This time, he wanted to do better.

"You never were annoying. You've always been who I needed. Then, and now."

Sakura smiled – strong and steady.

When all was said and done, Sasuke was left with one significant understanding. Her happiness, her touch, and her promises were worth whatever he needed to do within himself to figure out how to accept her love.

And how to return it.

.

.

.

Thanks to a soldier pill, Sakura made it through the entire night reading, researching, and note-taking. She and Sasuke developed an efficient system. With her recommendations, Sasuke knew what key words to search for in the texts, then he marked the sections and passed them to her. Sakura then could read and evaluate the relevant passages fully, not wasting time on erroneous material. The closest thing they found to what she was looking for were strange methods on chakra infusion, but not chakra harvesting, and they ran out of time when the sun started to rise.

Sakura went to work as if she hadn't spent the entire night awake. Or, if she had spent it awake, doing something with Sasuke other than reading vintage medical texts. Though it was a Friday, her scheduled day off, it was far more common than not for her to go in for at least a few hours. Hoping to find an excuse to check in with another one of their comrades, she started in the clinic to keep up with appearances.

It was an hour into her shift when Kakashi sent word to her through Taisa, Tenten's twin sister. Though Taisa didn't forfeit her civilian childhood to become a kunoichi like her twin had, the inherent bond between the two of them exposed her to shinobi affairs nonetheless. As Tenten was assigned to the Hokage's protection team, it made sense to leverage Taisa's inconspicuous status to covertly share Kakashi's communications outside of the office.

Taisa arrived at the hospital with an injury to her arm and requested to be seen by Dr. Haruno. Understanding that it was an excuse to speak privately, Sakura agreed to treat her friend personally and they moved to the patient room designated for Sakura's individual appointments.

"Any updates?" Sakura asked anxiously.

Taisa nursed her falsely acquired injury, holding a blood-stained towel to a large gash on her left arm. "Nothing yet. Tenten said the Hokage-sama thought you would appreciate hearing at least that, though."

Sakura removed Taisa's bloodied towel with a sigh, activating her healing chakra in its place. "He was right. Thanks, Tai."

The brunette shrugged. It was the least she could do. "She said the Hokage-sama and Shikamaru request whatever information you might have gathered so far."

"Nothing yet, either, I'm afraid. I feel like I might be getting close to finding something relevant, but then I wonder if I haven't found it yet, maybe it's because there's nothing there."

Chakra infusion was mentioned by name on three different texts. She wasn't sure if at any moment, she might stumble onto chakra harvesting, or if it simply didn't exist.

"Hopefully there will be," Taisa encouraged her.

It wasn't a large gash, though it was surprisingly deep and must have been painful. Sakura imagined the twins planning this together; she wondered what Tenten promised Taisa to make it up to her before inflicting the wound. Hopefully it was something worthwhile.

Sakura finished quickly enough, speaking to herself as she deactivated her chakra. "That should do it."

Taisa thanked her while Sakura wiped the remaining blood off the skin. It was as though nothing happened.

"Well I should get back. Good luck, Sakura."

"Thanks, Tai. You too."

Sakura was sad to see her friend go. Another difficult aspect of this mission was needing to hide in plain sight, in their own village and home, with minimal communication and interaction. It was a huge disadvantage.

Before Sakura could even make it back to the clinic, one of the nurses approached her.

"Sakura-sensei, one of your teammates is here to see you."

"Who?"

"The one from ANBU."

Sakura thanked the nurse and went to the lobby, immediately spotting Sai as he patiently stood near the door, a makeshift sling holding up his right arm.

"Hey, Sai," she greeted, concerned.

It was impossible to know if Sai's injury was serious or not; even with past injuries, he'd always remained stoic.

"Hey, Ugly. Got a few minutes to spare?" He gestured with his chin toward his injured arm.

"I do for comrades who don't call me ugly," she chided, but led him past the registration office anyway.

As they moved through the corridors, she put a hand to her forehead, feeling the abrupt start of a headache. Staying up through the night while relying on a soldier pill wasn't without its drawbacks. Once again, she waited to speak until they were alone in the privacy of her patient treatment room.

"What happened?" Sakura asked, ready to inspect Sai's injured arm.

"Oh, nothing," Sai answered. "I just wanted an excuse to see how you were holding up."

Sakura laughed. "Tenten and Taisa had the same idea. I wish you all didn't need to hurt yourself to see me."

The headache worsened. Sakura started to feel heated, almost feverish, and she turned to grab the water canteen she'd left on the counter.

"I didn't actually hurt myself," Sai assured her. "That wouldn't have been necessary to see you."

To prove it, Sai wiggled his arm around in the sling, stretching his limb with ease as he removed the knotted fabric.

"True," Sakura said, taking another few sips of water. "Injuries are easy enough to fake."

Her hands felt exhausted, as if her fingers weighed more than they should. Despite herself, she dropped the canteen.

"Oh," Sakura exclaimed, embarrassed.

When she leaned down to reach for the canteen, she became too light-headed. As the world started to spin, she steadied herself with a hand on the counter until it passed.

"Are you alright, Sakura?"

"Yeah," she assured him. "I took a soldier pill on an empty stomach. I probably haven't rehydrated yet, either."

Sakura moved again to pick up the canteen, but her fingers felt even more weighted than before. She couldn't use them to make a grip on the canteen.

_That's odd, _Sakura thought. Numbness or muscle paralysis weren't symptoms attributed to her body's usual response from a soldier pill.

Then, a split second later, the realization slammed into her. Numbness and muscle paralysis were symptoms of poisoning, not dehydration or exhaustion. As if on cue, Sakura felt her other hand deaden from an imaginary weight. She couldn't move either of her hands. She couldn't turn her wrists.

"Sai." Sakura spoke so sharply, that the vague concern in Sai's visage flashed into genuine worry.

"What's wrong?"

Sakura was starting to be unable to feel her feet. Before she couldn't feel them at all, she moved toward the ground, sliding herself down into a seated position between the corner of the wall. _I'm running out of time. _

"Sai, right now, send these messages."

In an instant, Sai was sitting before her, pulling out his scrolls and ink. Never had she felt more grateful for his ability to be more functionally inclined, rather than emotional.

"For Sasuke. Tell him to find my notes from last night and get them to Shizune. Bring her here. Immediately."

It was a good thing Sakura was seated. She tried to lift her legs, but she couldn't. Stubborn as she was, she continued to focus on lifting them, but they wouldn't move an inch. _I won't be able to speak soon, _she realized.

As fast as if they were in the middle of combat, Sai scribbled her words.

"For Naruto. Tell him it's happened. He'll know."

Her mouth was so tired. Her jaw was so heavy it hurt, except as soon as it began to hurt, it actually started to feel like it wasn't there anymore.

"Kakashi. Tell him… Tell him it's... _Shit_. It's Taisa."

Sai flinched with his ink, spilling some of it, surprised at her words. But he busily finished all three notes, sending them off with the birds who were the fastest messengers in his super beast imitation arsenal. Sakura watched them push through the window and fly off, but she couldn't turn her head.

"What else?" Sai sat in front of her, frowning at her eerily still, limp figure.

Sakura knew she was surprisingly conscious. As her body went numb, as she couldn't move any limb, didn't even feel as though they were attached to her body, she recognized how her mind was completely coherent. She placed the poison as one that would paralyze her muscles, but leave her awake and alert. _They must need the host alive to harvest the chakra._

"Don't leave." Sakura used the last of her strength to move her lips. "Sai, do not leave m-m…"

_Do not leave me_.

Sai took his tanto out from behind his back. He knelt in front of Sakura, one hand on her knee, which she couldn't feel but saw from her peripheral, and his other hand firmly grasped to his blade.

_Do not leave me or I'm dead. _

"I won't." He stared at her, as honest and sincere as only Sai could be. "I won't leave."

.

.

.

"This appears to be a more credible tip," Sasuke said, folding the note back up and handing it to one of his sergeants. "Can you look into it?"

"Yes, sir." Sgt. Aiko took the note and left without another word.

Lt. Sato waited until she was out of earshot before turning back to his colleague.

"When did you say Captain Tenzo would be back?"

Sasuke knew that Sato hadn't forgotten that detail of information. The man was too astute. Sato and a few of the others sensed that something was amiss about Tenzo's unexpected departure, and that Uchiha, who was the closest to the Hokage, had likely been the only one informed with the real reason for it.

"Early next week." If Sasuke had one thing, it was a damned good poker face.

Lt. Sato nodded, about to ask something else, but something in the corner of Sasuke's vision caught his attention and he turned from the other lieutenant. There was a hawk flying swiftly toward them, and Sasuke recognized the unmistakable ink-on-white coloring attributed with Sai's Super Beast Imitation Drawings. There was no good reason why Sai would be sending him a message through such an urgent manner.

Sasuke moved toward the hawk, lifting his good arm in expectation. When the hawk landed, Sasuke promptly released the message as Sai had taught him. Color drained from his face as soon as he saw the first words.

It read: "Sakura attacked. Need her notes from last night and Shizune. Get both and come to hospital. Hurry."

_Sakura attacked. _Sasuke didn't have time to feel shock. Adrenaline and shinobi instincts took over. He curled the note within his fist and took off, speed rivaling the famous Yellow Flash, to do what Sai had instructed. If Lt. Sato protested the abrupt exit, Sasuke hadn't heard.

.

.

Blood seeped through the bottom of the door frame. Sasuke stood with Shizune outside a room the medical nin suggested could be one of the places Sakura was in, and this seemed to confirm it.

"Oh no," Shizune whispered.

But Sasuke was already moving to push the door open.

A vicious, guttural growl greeted them. It was one of Sai's lion-like super beast imitations, standing guard at the door. Sasuke ignored it, searching for the source of blood. At the side of the beast imitation was a dead man; he wore plain clothes, held a kunai half in his grasp, and was only identifiable because of a slashed forehead protector. It was the mark of 'shinobi' that had been used for the first time by the alliance. Sasuke could only see half of the man's face; Sai's beast must have mauled the man, ripping flesh off to reveal bone and tissue beneath. There was a fatal neck wound to the man's neck, the source of the blood that had traveled under the door and into the hallway.

Sai moved his guarding beast out of the way, and for the first time, Sasuke could see her. Pink hair was impossible to miss. She sat completely still, her body limp against the corner of the wall, facing in the opposite direction. Sai crouched in front of her, looking worse for wear. He must have taken a blow to the side of the head, and already it was bruised with blood seeping down his temple.

Sasuke stepped over the dead body and approached Sakura, kneeling down beside her and Sai.

"What happened?" Shizune asked, right behind him.

Sasuke could tell how unnaturally weak she appeared, but he spotted no wounds or signs of injuries. When he looked up, her jade eyes were opened wide, and the sight within them made his stomach drop. Her lips didn't move, she made no sound, but he could tell she was screaming.

"She's conscious, but she's paralyzed," Sai said, uncharacteristically worried. "Is it poison?"

Sasuke couldn't take his eyes off of hers. He kept waiting for her to move, speak, or do anything, but she just stared at him in horror.

"Move," Shizune said, but Sasuke wouldn't.

Sai moved instead, and Shizune instantly lifted her healing chakra to evaluate Sakura's heart rate and pulse.

"It shouldn't be poison," Shizune said. "Sakura's developed protective capacities against every poison we know exists."

Shizune frowned, also despaired at the sight of Sakura's panicked eyes. "Sakura, your heart rate is through the roof. You're having an anxiety attack. You need to try and calm down."

Sasuke wasn't unfamiliar with panic attacks. He'd often woken up from night terrors in anguish, unable to breathe, flooded with adrenaline. If she couldn't move to regain a sense of control, couldn't breathe to meditate, how was she supposed to calm down?

"Help me move her," Shizune instructed.

The men lifted her onto the patient bed. Though Sakura was relatively light, the immobility made her feel like dead-weight. It reminded him of fallen comrades who's dead bodies he moved and carried back after a battle. Sasuke's stomach churned.

"If it's not poison, then what?" Sai asked.

"The notes." Sasuke pulled them from his pocket and shoved them toward Shizune, never taking his eyes off of Sakura's fearful ones. He didn't know what was in the notes, but he knew Sakura would have only requested them for a pertinent reason.

"Talk to her," Shizune told them, grabbing the papers. "Make her feel safe. Get her to calm down."

"How?" Sai asked, feeling as clueless as he sounded.

Sasuke didn't remember when he'd done it, but he was seated next to Sakura on the edge of the bed.

"Sakura." It required effort to ensure he didn't sound concerned.

It was strange, the stillness of her entire face, the complete lack of a response, but he could see in her eyes that she heard him.

"We're here," he said, and then because he knew she would want him to, because he wanted to do it, he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers. "I'm here."

Sasuke refused to blink. He kept close, but not so close that he couldn't keep eye contact with her, as if he could forcefully will the panicked energy out of her. Slowly, too slowly, but surely, he watched her settle.

"Sai, do you know what she was doing before this happened?" Shizune asked.

"Yes. She said Taisa had been in right before me with an injury. Sakura healed her."

"Really? Well, that… that would make sense, but not …" Shizune seemed confused.

Sai made the split second decision to share confidential information if it meant assisting a teammate. "Sakura had me send Kakashi a message that Taisa was the assailant."

This close to Sakura, it was impossible for Sasuke to hide the storm of rage that immediately overtook him. But because he was this close, he knew he had to remain calm.

"Can you heal her?" Sasuke asked, not moving an inch.

He heard the shuffling of papers as Shizune set them down. "I think so."

Shizune went to the other side of the bed and stood over the immobilized frame of both Sakura and Sasuke, who looked as unable to move, too. She chose to work around him. Moving her hands to Sakura's chest, Shizune felt that Sakura had stabilized. The Uchiha's presence was working, she noted.

"Sai, bring me that man's body."

"What?" It was a strange request to hear, even for Sai with his Root experience.

"According to Sakura's notes, there's an old technique to transfuse chakra from one life-force to another. If she wanted me to read those notes, I think it's because she absorbed the poison directly through another person's chakra, not through ingestion or touch. That explains why it actually had an effect on her. If I withdraw the poison from her chakra and transfer it to me, it will paralyze me, too. I need to transfer the poisoned chakra to someone else."

To the dead body. Sai now understood, and considering the man before him was the assailant who would have cowardly taken or killed Sakura's paralyzed body, he felt no remorse in dragging the dead body toward Shizune. He pulled two chairs over and slung the corpse on top of them, providing Shizune with closer access to reach it.

Shizune didn't thank him; she was already absorbed in her work. The only method guiding her was the scribbled notes Sakura had left on those papers, and it required exceptional care to touch another person's chakra source, especially when it was already damaged. This wouldn't be easy, even for someone as skilled as herself.

As slowly and carefully as she could, Shizune attempted this ancient technique to reach within Sakura's chakra and sort through what belonged, and what did not. When for the first time she was able to pull poisoned chakra out from Sakura's abdomen, she couldn't hide her surprise: she did it. Then she 'infused' the toxic chakra into the dead body next to her, successfully releasing it without endangering herself. Shizune gained more confidence to continue the process.

It seemed to take hours. Sasuke had no real sense of time, waiting impatiently for Shizune to finish what looked on the outside like an easy enough two-step process, but he knew from Sakura's ramblings last night was likely more complicated. He wanted to touch her, as if it would reassure her, and himself, but he knew she would be unable to feel it. In case that disconnect would worsen her sense of having no control, he didn't do it. But he didn't look away from her.

Everyone saw it at the same time, each of them from different angles: Sakura's fingers twitched. Her hand was flat on the side of the bed, but her fingers moved.

"That's it, Sakura," Shizune said, encouraged. "You're going to be fine."

For the first time, Sasuke looked down. He watched what was weak, trembling fingers, but saw what finally looked like hope. Sasuke reached for her hand, lifting her limp wrist and shifting her fingers to fit atop his palm. When she moved her fingers again, he felt her against him. At the look of surprise in her eyes, Sasuke knew she could feel him, too. He couldn't remember the last time he said a prayer of gratitude, but Sasuke thought one now.

As Shizune continued to work, Sakura gained more mobility and feeling; first, in her hands and arms, then toes, feet, and legs. Eventually, she could lift herself up, and then, she could move her mouth.

"Shiz… Shizune." Sakura's lips struggled to form the words, but she did it.

Shizune grinned through the exhaustion. "There you go, Sakura."

"Is… Nar-ruto o-okay?"

Shizune looked to Sasuke, uninformed on why Naruto wouldn't be. It was Sai who answered for them.

"Yes, don't worry about him. My imitation mice have been following him. He's alright."

Sakura squeezed Sasuke's hand. When she looked up at him, she mostly looked relieved. But Sasuke knew there was more to it than that. She wanted to get out of here. She wanted to move, to be somewhere safe. She wanted to feel like herself again.

"Are you done?" Sasuke asked Shizune.

Shizune nodded. "I'm fairly sure I was able to get out of all the poisoned chakra, but Sakura, that's put you at a deficit of your natural reserves. You're going to need to rest."

These were things Sakura knew, but because she was the patient, Shizune felt obligated to tell her.

"It might take another few days before you feel complete control over your movements again."

This did not seem to please Sakura. But when she looked at Sasuke, there was a different sort of concern in her mind. "K-Kakashi."

He understood. Kakashi's fear that the circle of whom they could trust was much smaller than any of them wanted to think had been validated. Taisa's twin, Tenten was on Gai's team, after all. Gai, Kakashi's oldest friend. If Taisa had become involved with rogue nin and a criminal organization, why? How? When? There were too many uncertainties.

"Sai, find Kakashi and update him. No one else, besides Naruto, can know about this." Sasuke knew that Sai would be in agreement, so he looked at Shizune.

She had no idea what was going on, but she had been at the Fifth Hokage's side during her time in the office, so Shizune knew better than most what sort of terrible things happened with no one else ever knowing about them. She nodded.

Sasuke looked to Sai. "Meet us at the compound. For Friday night dinner."

Sai understood their dinner offered a valid excuse. Then he looked to Sakura, for the first time coming to terms with his own fear and relief now that it was certain she was alright.

"T-thank you, Sai. If you h-hadn't come by…"

If he hadn't come by to visit her, that man would have succeeded in taking her. She would have ended up dead.

"You're a g-good friend. You've read some good b-books."

But Sai wasn't amused. "It wasn't the books that taught me to be a good friend, Ugly. It was you and Naruto."

Despite the nickname, despite the weakness of her mouth, she smiled.

.

.

When they reached the safety of the Uchiha Compound, Sasuke for the first time felt a sliver of peace. He turned some, looking to Sakura who rested on his back, arms carefully wound around his neck, while he'd raced from the hospital to his home.

"I'm alright," she assured him.

At his front door, Sasuke knelt some, and Sakura slowly climbed down. He watched her, made sure she was able to stand, and then unlocked his door. Stubborn as she was, she insisted on walking in on her own. Sasuke waited behind her as she took the first few steps.

Sakura's knees wobbled, her desire to walk too premature after the recent assault on her muscles. She lost her footing and fell forward, knees about to slam into the floor.

Sasuke flash stepped behind her, wrapped his good arm around her torso, and pulled her into him before she hit the ground.

She groaned. "Great. I'm pathetic."

"Your chakra was poisoned by someone who took advantage of your trust." Sasuke said, still angered by it. "You're not pathetic."

The cowardly girl who used the acceptance of selfless medical assistance as a method for paralyzing a healer was the pathetic one, as far as he was concerned.

Sakura leaned into him. The lack of sleep, effects of the poison withdrawal, and aftermath of severe anxiety left her exhausted. She wasn't sure if he'd respond coldly, but he didn't. It was like he softened, accepting more of her weight into his hold, and tightened his grip on her waist.

"I shouldn't be here. I should be doing something to help." Sakura was frustrated by the words she didn't say: _But I can't. I physically can't right now._

"You already have," he said. Her research from last night was obviously onto something, as it had just saved her life.

Sakura didn't agree, but didn't refute him either. For now, there was nothing else she could do but rest. The sooner she rested, the sooner she'd be able to help. Sasuke carried half of her weight as they walked to the guest room. When she climbed into the bed, instantly relieved by the comfort of the blankets, her exhaustion tempting her to close her eyes, the panic from earlier came back in an instant. The utter helplessness of being unable to move, unable to do _anything _to protect herself, sent fear flooding through her system again.

Sasuke saw the same panic from earlier. Before she could ask, he sat on the bed, positioning his back on the headboard.

"I'm here." Sasuke told her, looking down at her resting figure, the strands of soft pink hair spread out across the pillow. "I'll be right here."

She put a hand atop his, as if needing to feel it to believe it. Sasuke turned his wrist, accepting her hand, and she intertwined their fingers.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered.

He watched her breathe to calm herself, and how her fearfulness transitioned into contentedness. Eventually, she gave into the exhaustion and fell asleep.

As Sasuke watched her sleep, alert to their surroundings in case of another attack, he honestly wasn't sure where he'd rather be. Strangling the person who had poisoned her, or sitting beside her while she slept.

.

.

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_**A/N**_: Reviews of your thoughts are appreciated, friends and followers!


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N:** _I truly adore you encouraging reviewers. Thank you.

If you can help a girl out, please PM me your thoughts on your definition and understanding of the M rating as far as intimate scenes go. I've read some explicit and 'lemon' material on this site, but the definition of the rating suggests that detailed descriptions are not permitted. Considering I already have scenes written as such, I guess I could chop them and only make hints here, then post this completed story elsewhere at another time for 18+ readers. Just feels like diluting the story here if I have to do that. Thank you for your insight!

Lastly, we're at the end of the lyrics, but not the story. If you are one who has paid attention to the title/lyrics, may I recommend the acoustic version of Savior by Rise Against in their Ghost Note Symphonies album (can be found on Youtube). The strings and the end of the song gives me all the feels. - H

* * *

**Something Left**

Chapter Eight

* * *

They waited for Kakashi to arrive. Not for the first time, and assuredly not for the last time, their old sensei was running late.

Sasuke was too preoccupied in his thoughts to cook, but too impatient to sit. He stood near the front of his living room, looking out the window, alert and cautious. There was the constant chatter of the team behind him, but he was only paying attention to their surroundings.

"They would need a different strategy to capture me," Naruto suggested. "Even if this 'chakra infusion' could poison my own chakra, Kurama's chakra would be able to heal itself and then heal mine."

"I think you're right," Sakura agreed. "They chose a poison that ensured I would be alive and awake, but restrained. I'm not sure if they'd be able to succeed in restraining you while you were conscious, though."

"Oh, that'd be easy enough," Sai countered.

Naruto and Sakura both turned to stare at his blunt declaration.

"You are reckless and self-sacrificial," Sai explained to Naruto. "And worse, they know it, because Taisa knows it. All it would take is kidnapping or threatening someone you love, and you'd do whatever they said."

"Of course I would," Naruto exclaimed. "But that's because I'd kick their ass as soon as I could."

Sakura groaned, but Sai kept looking at him, as though Naruto had just confirmed his point.

"Heh," Naruto scratched behind his ear. "Alright, so I'm a little predictable."

"Reckless is what I said. But that, too."

"Maybe that was the original plan," Sakura wondered aloud. "If they wanted Naruto and I both outside of the village, it'd be like killing two birds with one stone if they succeeded in disarming Sasuke, taking me, and manipulating Naruto."

At the sound of his name, Sasuke glanced over to them. The three of them were together on the sofa, even though there were plenty of other seating options. Sakura sat in the middle, her legs crisscrossed as she massaged her cramped muscles. Naruto was on the right, his prosthetic arm resting behind Sakura, more protective than relaxed. Sai sat to the left, the wound on his temple cleaned and bandaged, with one hand atop his knee and the other firmly clasped around his tanto. Sasuke studied his two closest friends; Sai, who had just saved Sakura's life only a few hours ago, and Naruto, who would get himself killed before he'd let anyone harm her.

Sasuke knew nothing could replace his family and no one could stand in for Itachi, but seeing the two men's affectionate protection over the woman he cared for most in this world felt more like having brothers than teammates. Reassured, he turned back toward the window.

"I still can't believe it about Taisa." Naruto was torn between mourning and wrath. "Do you think Tenten is involved?"

"The bond between monozygotic twins is an exceptionally close one," Sakura murmured. "But it's hard to imagine Tenten betraying us."

"I'm sure Kakashi-sama has her and their closest associations detained for interrogation," Sai said. "They'll figure it out soon enough."

It wasn't comforting to think about though. It was easier to strategize on how to defeat enemies who hadn't been your friends.

Kaka-sama eventually arrived, strolling through the front door with one of his usual excuses.

"Ah. Sorry I'm late, I ran into a child who had lost their onl—"

Between the four of them, he received a combination of tired and pointed glares. Despite himself, he smiled underneath his mask. Considering the circumstances, it was nice to see them together and safe.

"Right," Kakashi said. "Let's get to it."

"Have you found Taisa?" Naruto asked hurriedly.

"ANBU captured her at the outskirts of the village. She was alone; we think she must have been waiting for the rogue-nin Sai killed at the hospital."

Sasuke remembered the slashed hitai-ate the rogue-nin must have worn hidden around his neck beneath the civilian clothes. It had been ripped half off and soaked in blood after Sai's beast intimation attack.

"What have they learned from her?" Sai asked.

Kakashi took the seat on the arm chair. "She didn't make it to Interrogation."

"What do you mean?" Naruto frowned.

Kakashi sighed. "She took a cyanide pill as soon as they approached her. Taisa is dead."

The room stayed quiet. Sakura put her face between both of her hands. Sasuke watched her, knowing it didn't matter that Taisa had just attempted to kill her. Sakura would still mourn the woman. He didn't plan to.

"So both potential informants are dead," Sai stated, clearly displeased. One of those informants was dead because of him. Regret sunk into him.

"Perhaps," Kakashi said. "But we have a lead, thanks to Yamanaka."

At this, Sai perked up. "Ino?"

Kakashi nodded. "Shikadai had a fever and Temari is still in Sand, so Ino was helping Shikamaru take care of him in the morning. When she brought him to my office before her shift in Interrogation started, we received your message from Sakura. She spotted the beast imitation was from you and insisted to be filled in."

Sai's lips quirked upward, amused.

"Ino remembered that Taisa started to date a merchant from Earth Country last year. According to Ino, Taisa was infatuated with the man for several months, but then abruptly refused to talk about him anymore. She thought it was odd that Taisa hadn't admitted to a break-up, just acted as if the relationship never existed."

Sakura did vaguely remember something like this, but only Ino would remember enough gossip and romantic drama to connect its relevance to shinobi matters.

"So that man could have been the one to recruit Taisa?" Naruto guessed.

"It was a possibility at first, but after Shikamaru looked into it, we found another connection that is most likely not a coincidence. The merchant she dated specializes in medicinal herbs."

Kakashi was looking at Sakura. Even though she had been the one to bring it to his attention, it was surreal to have her suspicion confirmed. "Black powder?"

"Yep," Kakashi said. "In fact, he's bought out our entire market for it. His name is Kaito. He oversees almost every merchant route from the northeastern territory of Earth country to our lands."

"What's black powder?" Naruto asked.

With Kakashi's approving nod, Sakura filled him and Sai in on what she'd read about black powder experimentation.

"You mean without infusing chakra, it can still explode?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, apparently."

"What kind of explosions? What level of impact?" Whereas Naruto had been appalled, Sai was calculative.

"I don't really know," Sakura answered. "It was just an accidental discovery by herbalists, so the report circled through the medical nin literature. As far as I've heard, no one continued to test it."

"Not other medical nin, at least," Kakashi said. "It's possible that someone else got their hands on that information and planned to use it for other purposes. We're working to establish if there's a connection between Kaito and Daishiro, but I won't be surprised when it's confirmed."

Thinking of Daishiro and Earth Country, Sasuke finally spoke. "What has Tenzo reported back to you?"

"He has discovered the rogue-nin network Daishiro relies on is sympathetic to the Anti-Alliance Movement," Kakashi said.

At the raised brows in the room, Kakashi clarified. "I was able to talk with the Tsuchikage's ambassador. The Anti-Alliance Movement is what Kurotsuchi-sama calls civilians who have organized to protest the shinobi alliance."

"Why are they protesting?" Sakura asked. In the last several years, the world had become a much safer place, with true peace and collaboration between the nations.

To their surprise, it was Naruto who sighed as though he understood. "The shinobi alliance strengthened the ties between the villages as far as diplomatic and military ties go, but the civilian economic market crashed two years after our own economic agreements replaced their previous arrangements. It didn't matter that we incentivized civilian partnerships. Factions of civilians in every country remain bitter at the intrusion. The hidden villages never exerted power or influence over their means of making a living before. Because we have good soil and a brief winter, most of our goods are made in and kept within the Land of Fire. But other places, especially Land of Earth, had it much worse."

Sasuke couldn't help but be impressed. Naruto must have actually been doing the homework Kakashi had assigned to him for preparation to become Hokage.

"That's right, Naruto," Kakashi said. "Uprisings and protests in the other Lands died down in the last two years, but if Tenzo has confirmed that Daishiro's criminal organization is connected to the Anti-Alliance Movement, then we have an even larger problem on our hands."

Everyone was quiet for a moment as that sunk in.

"Has Tenzo identified their base of operations?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Kakashi said. "There doesn't appear to be a central headquarters. It's more of a grass-roots movement with undercover networks."

From his ANBU team, Sai had guessed as much. "If we can't identify a central base, then we need to learn more about Daishiro as an individual. The only way we'll be able to find someone like him is leaning into what is personal to him; finding and exploiting a wife or children."

It sounded heartless, but it was insight from his ANBU training, all of them knew that it was the truth.

"So, what _now_?" Naruto became impatient. "Sakura was almost kidnapped and killed today, but we still don't even know enough to retaliate?"

Since Sasuke felt the same frustration, he looked to Kakashi for the answer, too.

"We have a few initiatives in play," Kakashi said. "We'll see what information the Interrogation team can pull from those closest to Taisa. An ANBU team has been assigned to find and track Kaito. Tenzo will stay en route to Daishiro for another few days to identify key civilian players and meeting locations. Sakura's research is off to a promising start, considering one of the older techniques on chakra infusion was information that the Anti-Alliance Movement has an understanding about that even our medical nin didn't. Temari is scheduled to be back tomorrow with any communication that Sand intercepted, and then Shikamaru's team will work on decrypting all of those messages. I expect within the next few days we should have more information and be in a better position to decide how to respond."

Even though all of them knew he was right, it was unnerving that their only valid plan was to remain on the defensive and gather more information.

"What about for now?" Sasuke repeated Naruto's original question. Kakashi still hadn't answered to that.

"Most of the original plan can remain in effect," Kakashi said. "We'll pretend that we've accepted the mission from that private entrepreneur, but I'm not sending any of you outside of the village. Watch out for each other but keep it discreet. In that regard, we've been lucky so far. It's the weekend. We would ordinarily be here for dinner tonight, and together is the safest place for Sakura and Naruto. I'll walk Naruto home. Kurenai, Kiba, and Shino have orders to rotate shifts at Naruto's home. Since Sakura isn't scheduled to be at the hospital until Monday, her absence won't be noticed while she recuperates here. Sasuke, I know I already took Tenzo from the police force, can they spare you, too?"

Sasuke nodded. "I've already sent word I won't be in."

Sakura looked over to him, the question in her eyes. When had he done that?

But he was staring at Kakashi, waiting for the rest of the plan.

"Good. Sai, can you keep your super beast imitations on guard here and make time to visit tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"That will give you a chance to rest, Sasuke. On Sunday, Shikamaru and Temari will come over for brunch. Let them linger. We'll exchange information through them. Then, by Monday, we'll be ready with a plan."

Since Sai and Shikamaru were two of the only shinobi that Sasuke would trust, not to mention a few of his own sergeants from the police force could be maneuvered for a security detail as-needed, he accepted the plan.

"This is such a drag," Naruto huffed.

No doubt, he spent far too much time with the Nara clansman over the last few years.

"We're a step behind them, I have to admit that," Kakashi said, sounding hopeful. "But our resources are far greater. We will figure it out, Naruto."

"I'm not worried about that," Naruto said, standing up. "But we need to figure it out in a way that doesn't solve just our own immediate problem, then accidentally creates another disaster later on. If this many civilians and rogue-nin are upset, we need a long-term solution."

Kakashi approached Naruto and placed an approving hand on his shoulder. "You're right. Let's talk about it while you and I make dinner. They've had a long day."

Sasuke didn't need to verbalize it for Kakashi to understand that he was appreciative of that. With just the three of them in the living room, Sasuke moved to take a seat in the chair Kakashi previously occupied. Sakura moved to the end of the couch to lay down, tucking a pillow under her head.

"Hey, Sai?"

Sai turned to her.

"Why haven't you asked Ino to marry you yet?"

Normally, Sakura wouldn't have been so presumptuous. But today had been a reminder that life is far too short and one can't take a moment of it for granted.

To her surprise, Sai looked down. He moved his blade between both of his hands.

"Are you waiting for the right time?" Sakura probed. First, Sai had taken that six-week long ANBU mission with Sasuke. Then, events related to this Anti-Alliance Movement erupted.

"No, that's not what I'm waiting for," Sai answered.

He seemed hesitant. Sakura almost would have thought to ask him if he'd changed his mind about Ino, but she saw the way he looked at the mention of her earlier. She knew he really loved Ino.

"The books say I'm supposed to get her father's blessing first," Sai finally said.

Sakura tensed. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that. Ino and her father had always been close. His loss in the Fourth Shinobi World War had devastated her.

"How would I know he approved of me?" Sai asked.

"Oh Sai," Sakura assured him. "I'm sure he would."

"But how do I _know_?" Sai challenged.

Sakura frowned. There was no way to know. If there was, she didn't know it. For a moment, it was silent.

"Because she chose you." It was Sasuke who spoke and they both turned to him, surprised. "When you lose a parent, the only way you feel like they're still with you is when you do something you know they thought was the best for you. If Ino chose to date you after her father was killed, it's because she knew he would approve of you."

Sakura clutched the pillow tighter, but Sai seemed to relax. "Yeah?"

Sasuke nodded.

It was still rare to see Sai offer a genuine smile, but he grinned like it was the greatest news of his life. "Alright. Then I will propose to her when this is over."

At this, Sakura grinned, too. When Sasuke's gaze drifted to her, she tightened her smile for him, attempting to say a silent 'thank you.' For some reason though, he seemed to look like the grateful one.

.

.

Even though Sakura was sad and a little nervous to see everyone go, she was exhausted and glad to settle down. Her entire body felt like it had been slammed against stone - repeatedly. Even though Shizune had pulled the poison from her system, the chakra network was a delicate system. Pain and discomfort lingered. When it was just her and Sasuke left, she turned to him.

"You've been awake for at least thirty-six hours. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Because Sakura didn't seem to accept that answer, he added, "Ordinarily after traveling I'm fine for seventy-two hours."

Doing the math, he'd be alright remaining on guard for them until Sai came back tomorrow. "Alright. If you're sure."

"You should rest." It sounded tactical.

Sakura knew he was right. "Don't let me sleep past dawn? I need to get back to research as soon as possible."

"Alright."

Sakura didn't want to leave his presence, but with no excuse to stay and with the reality of the still existing threats, she made for the hall toward the guest bedroom. She remembered earlier, asking Sai about his delay in proposing to Ino, when she'd been thinking of how life offered no guarantees. Whatever you wanted from life, you had to get it for yourself while you still could.

Halfway down the hall, Sakura's feet stopped her before her mind could catch up and change its mind. She turned around.

"I really am sorry about what happened with Kiba. I'd do about anything to take it back."

Sasuke hadn't been facing her, but he turned, slow and serious. It was almost frightening, how utterly unreadable he could be when he wanted to be.

"When was it?"

"A few weeks after you left." Sakura bit her lip. "I think at first I was so shocked, I didn't feel anything. I was sort of numb. But then once it hit, it was… It was too much. It was years of bottled up pain. I guess I couldn't handle it."

Sasuke remained still as a statute. "How often?"

"Once." Sakura answered immediately. "Just once. As soon as I was sober, I realized how stupid it was. It didn't fix the pain, it was just a distraction from it."

Sasuke put his hand into his pocket. "Do you care for him?"

"No, not like that." Sakura wasn't apologetic in this response, but matter-of-fact. That seemed to reassure him more. "It was just too much alcohol and spite. Not attraction or feelings."

Sasuke didn't seem to have any more questions. Sakura wrapped her hands in front of her. "I've never been with anyone I actually cared for. I've only ever cared for you."

The way she said 'cared' made it sound like the understatement of the year.

After a moment, Sasuke released his hand from his pocket. "I believe that."

Sakura looked relieved. Braver now, she said, "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun."

Handling conflict and discomfort in any sort of relationship was not something he was accustomed to. It occurred to him belatedly that she was not expressing her apology only; she was asking him for forgiveness, too.

Forgiveness. That was something the people he'd hurt severely had gifted to him even when he'd felt the least deserving of it. As a child, he thought if you loved someone, it meant you wouldn't hurt them. But he learned, as the recipient of the hurt and the giver of it, how that was not entirely true. Sometimes, the opposite happened. Even knowing about Kiba, Sasuke knew without a doubt in his mind that Sakura loved him. She'd proved that over and over again. But pain, rejection, and a broken heart could turn anyone sideways. It had certainly corrupted him before.

"It's alright, Sakura. I believe you."

Sakura's eyes widened – in surprise, relief, or gratitude, he wasn't sure. Eventually, she spoke, a gentle and sincere sentiment. "Thank you."

"You should rest," Sasuke said, this time sounding more concerned than logistical.

What he knew from the Konoha Police Force was that it wasn't true that criminals don't return to the scene of the crime. If this Anti-Alliance Movement knew she was in a weakened state, it could embolden them to strike again sooner.

"Okay," Sakura said, exhausted. "Good night, Sasuke-kun."

He watched her disappear into the guest room. _Good night, Sakura. _

.

.

.

"Chakra _storage_," Sakura all but yelled, pointing with reverence to the old text.

Sai looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Calm down, Ugly. What's chakra storage?"

Annoyed at his laissez-faire response, she pushed his head toward the papers so that he could face them and read.

"Look," she said. "It's not only chakra harvesting that we should be concerned about, but how they plan to store it once they harvest it."

Sai read her notes. It seemed that when medical ninjutsu texts failed to procure anything of relevance, she turned toward the historical texts to search for significant events involving explosives. When he finished reading her scribbled words but didn't understand what had her all excited, he dropped the papers.

"Just explain it to me."

Sakura huffed. "Alright, think about how when we make explosives in ninjutsu. It's by _infusing_ our chakra _into _items, like paper tags. The chakra merges with the item and becomes part of it. That's how Deidara merged his chakra _into_ his clay, and then made the bombs out of the clay."

"Okay," Sai said. "I know all that."

"Okay, so this is different. Instead of the chakra being infused within an item, it is only stored inside of it. The two do not merge. They remain separate. The chakra is still pure chakra in its original potent form."

Now, Sai understood. "You're saying they've figured out how to harvest chakra from a shinobi and keep that chakra isolated and contained, not within a body or an item. Just pure chakra."

"Yes! Exactly."

"Huh," Sai was thoughtful. "What difference does it make, when it's not infused, but it's stored?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but think of it this way. When we infuse our chakra into a paper tag, clay, or whichever item, we are inherently limiting it. We dilute it. We diminish it to a smaller capacity that can merge with the item, instead of destroying it."

Sai crossed his arms. "So chakra _stored_ would be more powerful."

Sakura nodded. "Significantly more."

"What would it do?" Sai asked. "And what does black powder have to do with this?"

At this, Sakura became discouraged. "I'm not sure. But with the exception of a tailed beast bomb, this text describing the chakra storage caused the largest explosion in historical record."

"Huh." Sai picked up the text to read the original passage describing the explosion. Thousands were injured from its blast. When he finished, he set the document down with a frown.

"Let's send word to Kakashi-sama."

.

.

.

Though a nap had been the last thing she wanted to do after making an important discovery in her research, it was what her body demanded. Especially when she forfeited breakfast, lunch, and even water to maintain her concentration on the texts. Her muscles still felt fatigued, which didn't help. So, when Sai insisted she should rest, she'd listened.

It was two brief knocks on the door that woke her. She fluttered her eyes open, brushed the hair out of her face, and held the pillow beneath her as she lifted her head.

"Come in."

Sasuke opened the door, chopsticks in his grasp and a bowl expertly balanced on the flat part of his inner wrist. She blinked. There was no longer any natural light filtering in through the bedroom window.

"What time is it?"

"Ten o'clock."

"Oh, Kami." Sakura pushed herself upward. How had she slept through the entire afternoon and half the night? "I can't believe it. I didn't mean to sleep this late."

"You're strong, not invincible. Shizune said it would take a few days of rest to recover."

Sasuke took a seat on the edge of the bed. He lifted the chopsticks and bowl to her. It was white rice, teriyaki chicken and steamed vegetables. As if on cue, Sakura's stomach growled, protesting the hunger strike it had been put through in the name of research. Sakura blushed and accepted the bowl.

"Thanks. I didn't have time to eat earlier."

Sasuke knew it had less to do with lack of time and more to do with her stubbornness to work, but he didn't argue with her.

"Sai explained chakra storage to me."

Sakura took her first bite. "What do you think?"

He obviously already thought it through. "That it makes sense. If a civilian wanted to acquire enough strength to defeat a shinobi, being able to harness the power of chakra would give them an opportunity to do it."

It was a disturbing thought. Sakura ate quickly, finishing half her bowl before her fingers started to cramp painfully. At first, she ignored it, forcing them to maintain their hold on the chopsticks. But then, against her best efforts, she dropped them.

Sasuke turned to her. The chopsticks and a snow pea landed on her lap, while she held the bowl down with her wrist and stared at her shaking fingers.

"I wrote too much earlier," Sakura said quietly, as if to herself.

Sasuke picked up the snow pea, chop sticks, and then her bowl. Sakura relaxed her hands in her lap. Even though she activated her healing chakra to help soothe the cramps, the tiredness of her muscles remained. Only time could heal certain kinds of wounds. Poisoned chakra was apparently a real bitch.

"Here."

Sakura looked up. At the sight of Sasuke holding the chopsticks toward her, a piece of chicken within them, she blushed.

"Oh no, it's okay," she refuted.

His eyes flashed. "I only have one hand. It took me months to learn how to use it. I'm the last person you need to feel prideful around."

Sakura moved to dismiss him again, but then she saw how serious he appeared. She halted her protest. With reluctance, she lifted her chin and parted her lips, letting Sasuke feed her. At first, Sakura's reddened cheeks sold her out for being flustered. But Sasuke either didn't notice or didn't care, and proceeded as if this were an entirely normal affair.

It was just food. It was just helping an injured comrade. That's what Sakura told herself, but it felt more vulnerable and intimate than that. When Sasuke helped her with the last bite, she chewed it slowly as he placed the bowl to his side.

"Thank you." Even for her, she sounded quiet.

Sasuke didn't answer. He seemed to be thinking about something, and though she ordinarily might have asked what was on his mind, their most recent interaction had her too tongue-tied.

After another silent moment, Sasuke turned to her. He looked at her so intently that she wished she had been able to wash her face, brush her hair, or do anything to appear less sloppy. But then again, he'd seen at her very worst during missions just as much as he'd seen her attempting to look her best during formal affairs.

"I told you that I shouldn't have left when I knew it would hurt you."

She remembered exactly what he'd said. Their conversation from last night was one she played over and over again in her mind.

"But I didn't tell you th—" He stopped himself mid-sentence. "I'm sorry. What I meant to say was that, I'm sorry I asked for an assignment to leave."

Sakura appreciated his apology, but she slowly shook her head. "You know, I wasn't upset that you left, Sasuke-kun. I understand your need to have space and take on missions, even if it means leaving Konoha for awhile."

His brows furrowed some, uncertain at what she meant. But then she offered a dismal smile, embarrassed but determined to be honest.

"I was upset that you didn't tap my forehead before you left." As completely asinine as it sounded, it was the truth. She blushed some, holding her hands together tightly in her lap. "I don't know what it means, I just know it's a promise. But this last time, you left and you didn't make me that promise."

Sasuke's mismatched eyes actually widened. It was probably the most surprised she'd ever seen him. It confirmed her conjecture about the tap's meaning, and she didn't know if that made its most recent absence better or worse. Her chin dipped downward.

"I guess I figured it meant you were finished with me. With us."

Sasuke exhaled as if he'd recovered from a blow to the gut.

"It is a promise, Sakura," he said. "But it's not one I'd ever break."

She didn't have words. It turned out, neither did he.

Sasuke shifted, turning toward her, but then paused uncertainly. "I would have to show you."

Sakura realized that he meant showing her through genjutsu. "Okay," she agreed. Then, choosing her words pointedly, she said, "I'm not afraid of your sharingan. I'm not afraid of you."

Something in the way she looked at him reminded him of the other time she'd been so close with his sharingan activated. In the last possible second of when she and Obito's efforts to rescue him would have failed, he switched places with her scorched flak jacket and arrived behind her. She'd literally traveled through time and space to save him. When he caught her, for one rare moment, nothing else mattered: not their harrowing past nor the impending disaster of the world around them. For the first time, they had a moment to just stop, touch, and look at each other.

Sasuke lifted his hand to hold her face. Never once had he tried to activate the sharingan in a slow or gentle manner, but he attempted it now. When he felt the familiar pulse of its whirling arrival, Sakura didn't flinch. When she looked at him, she looked as she often did. Like she loved him.

Sasuke let go, releasing the visions that were all too familiar to him, but brand new to Sakura.

One by one, Sasuke revealed his childhood memories with Itachi to her. The countless times he reveled in his elder brother's company, for shuriken practice, after their family's dinner, or simply slung over Itachi's back as they walked through town. Their time spent together was always too short, and sometimes Itachi had no time for him at all. But each time, there was an affectionate poke to the forehead.

"Sorry Sasuke, maybe next time."

The tap, a promise. But also the reality that it was not enough. It was not enough for Itachi to promise 'next time' when sometimes, there was no 'next time.' Without actions to prove it, that tap meant nothing.

Yet it meant everything. In the finale of their battle, brother against brother, when Sasuke's hatred and vengeance came to its inevitable conclusion, Itachi didn't use his last moment to pluck out his younger brother's eyes. Instead, he did what he had always done. He used his bloodied pointer and index finger to tap Sasuke's forehead. "Sorry Sasuke, this is the last time."

Somehow, it sounded at that moment that Itachi loved him. Sasuke fainted, knowing it couldn't be true. When he woke to the sight of an orange-swirled mask, he couldn't have known how his world was about to turn upside down. At the time known to them as Tobi, the Akatsuki member revealed which version of reality was true: the one in which Uchiha Itachi loved his little brother, from the beginning until the end. Itachi's last move to affectionately touch his brother's forehead was the only proof Sasuke had.

Fate had either been cruel or kind. Not only was Itachi resurrected through forbidden reanimation jutsu, but the two even crossed paths. Sasuke had the opportunity to confront his brother with what he'd discovered was the truth about their family's massacre. In their true last moments together, Itachi not only confirmed it, but even admitted regretting it.

And he finally said what he hadn't been able to say, promised what he hadn't been able to promise, every time that he touched Sasuke's forehead.

"... I will love you forever."

It was this tap, and that promise, Sasuke had given to her.

As the world of blurred memories turned back into the present moment, Sasuke's sharingan retreated. Sakura felt her jaw tremble within Sasuke's grasp. Unsteady, she reached for his hand on her face, her weak fingers clutching tightly to his strong ones. Though Sasuke meant to steady her by wrapping his arm around her, cradling the back of her head with his one good hand, it was too similar to the last scene Sasuke had showed her of him and Itachi.

Sakura wept. She wept with the love and loss of Itachi burned into her mind. She wept from the sincerity in which Sasuke offered that same love and dedication to her. Sasuke didn't move to stop her tears, but he held her as she pressed closer to him.

He had only wanted to show Sakura what he could not figure out how to say, and replaying the memories he'd envisioned thousands of times seemed simple enough. But he felt something different now that he hadn't planned for, something raw and ethereal. It was painful, yet healing; sad, but hopeful.

It was the first time he didn't feel alone.

"S-Sasuke," she tried to say something, but couldn't.

His lips brushed against hers, but he didn't kiss her. He couldn't.

In that moment, Sasuke finally realized what held him back. While he hadn't wanted Sakura's forgiveness, he needed it.

They had come together but fractured immediately. He wasn't sure if it was because she didn't forgive him or if he couldn't forgive himself. But it was a wedge, the final chasm, a distance between them that attraction, friendship, and even love wouldn't be able to cross for them. He wasn't sure that forgiveness would, but if there was a chance that it could, he knew he needed to take it.

"Sakura." He said her name like a question.

She shuddered, but then forced herself to open her eyes, jade orbs glimmering and bloodshot from tears. If this was the last time he saw her crying for him or over him, it would still be too many times.

"Can – will…" Sasuke took a breath. "Will you forgive me?"

Sakura shook her head, but he quickly realized it wasn't a 'no.' She was overwhelmed, leaking tears, trembling as she held onto him. Then, despite it all, she gave him the smile that had become his favorite: a real one, and one she only shared with him.

"Yes." She leaned further into him. "Yes, I forgive you."

It felt to him, in that moment, that the long process of struggling to gather the pieces for a complicated puzzle was entirely worth it once you completed it with the final piece.

.

.

* * *

"I don't hate you

I don't hate you, no

Woaah ooh,

I don't hate you

No, I don't hate you"

_Lyrics of Savior by Rise Against (acoustic version)_


	9. Chapter 9

**Something Left**

Chapter Nine

* * *

For the first time, Sakura didn't feel like it was her who failed words, never able to find or form the right ones, but that instead words had failed her. There were no syllables or sounds good, or right, or perfect enough to say what she wanted to convey. To explain what it was that she felt.

She reached for Sasuke's hand at the back of her neck, needing to reciprocate his touch.

He looked like he'd just ripped his heart out of his chest, showing it to her, handing it to her. For all intents and purposes, he had.

_Can – will… will you forgive me?_

A few years ago, even a few months ago, she wasn't sure how she would be able to. It was simple enough to forgive him for leaving Konoha as a child; easy enough to forgive him for ways trauma had broken and molded him as an adult. It had felt impossible to forgive him for almost killing her. Yet, as sure as she was that he would have done it, she was sure now that he'd do anything to undo it.

When she said she forgave him, she meant it.

"Sasuke-kun."

The tears and trembling had passed. She looked at him, a newfound confidence, one that had been almost twenty years in the making: she loved him _and_ he loved her back. It made it easier to breathe, to hold her chin up, to touch him, to speak. It made it easier to be.

He looked at her. With her one free hand, she moved his ink-black hair out of the way, revealing the rinnegan she never was sure if he thought others feared or if he feared himself. She kept the tips of her fingers at the base of his cheekbone, feeling his connective joint and the attached mandibular muscles. His jaw was clenched, restricting the muscle and joint. She wanted to activate her healing chakra, encouraging the muscles to loosen and relax, but she waited.

"Will you forgive yourself?" She asked tentatively.

He tensed; she felt the muscles restrict as his jaw clenched tighter, teeth grinding together.

"How could you love me if I did?" His words were terse, but she knew the resentment was turned toward himself.

"I'll always love you, no matter what," she answered easily. Then, "But _you_ can't love me if you don't."

Sakura started to chew her lip, a familiar nervous habit, but then she forfeited it. Nerves had no power when one felt safe.

"I know you've had every reason to keep yourself turned back toward the past, but I'm ready to look forward. We're different people now, things are different now. I want to move toward a future with you."

She could see in his eyes how this was still a foreign concept. It was a look she saw often in her line of work. As terrible and cruel as a traumatic event could be, the pain was not always something victims ran away from, but something they often held onto. Even when the pain hurt so much it could kill them, even when holding onto the pain meant they had no hands to grab onto what might be good. She knew for Sasuke, to let go of the pain from the past would feel like letting go of his family, of his brother. The pain was all that he had left of them, and torturing himself with that pain was the only way he knew how to feel close to them.

"The future." He said the words as if needing to test them out, to hear how it sounded. Then, "How do we do that?"

Despite herself, Sakura smiled. He'd said _we_. "I don't really know. One day at a time, I suppose."

Sasuke's grip at the base of her neck loosened. He found her fingers within her own, holding them, thoughtful as he looked to her.

"Alright."

Though Sakura wasn't sure exactly what he was in agreement on, she felt his jaw unclench, the muscles attached to his mandible relax, and the joint to his cheekbone loosen. Her smile widened.

"Alright," she agreed.

Then she leaned closer, planning to kiss him briefly, a quick gesture for good faith. But when her lips touched his, Sasuke pulled her forward, taking the control she thought she had. He kissed her slowly, forming a deliberate hold of her bottom lip, feeling her affectionate response and how their lips fit together. How they fit together perfectly.

He tilted her head back instead of kissing her again. "I'm supposed to be on watch."

There was only one thing right now that could have stopped him, and it was the legitimate concern for her safety. He couldn't afford to be distracted if it meant risking her life.

Sakura wanted to be resentful of the timing of this Anti-Alliance Movement with every fiber of her being, but it was the same circumstances of the attacks that forced them to finally have honest conversations that led to this moment. So, she took a deep breath, and refused to be ungrateful.

"I have a few more things I wanted to read through before I finalize notes for Shikamaru tomorrow."

Sasuke released his hold on her neck and stood up. When he offered his hand to her and she accepted his help, she saw him look at her hands, the fingers that were too injured to hold chopsticks only a few moments earlier.

"Okay," he said, still holding her hand. "I'll write for you."

Before they left for the Uchiha Library Collection, Sakura had just enough time to think _'I hope one day he sees himself with half as much admiration as I do.'_

.

.

.

The Nara family arrived by eleven as Kakashi said they would. Though brunch was a pretense, all of them were hungry and quickly ate the simple meal that Sasuke prepared. Shikadai had been excited by the commotion of being somewhere new, but then fell asleep quickly afterward. Temari filled them in on the Kazekage's perspective of the Anti-Alliance Movement, but it seemed Gaara didn't know much more than Kakashi did. Since Shikamaru's team was only halfway through decryption of the messages, he refrained from making presumptuous comments. The team who had been trailing Kaito, and Tenzo who had been shadowing Daishiro, were both expected back at any moment to debrief with the Hokage.

"What about Tenten? Was… was she involved? Did she know?" Sakura asked.

She was conflicted. As a friend and comrade, she wanted to believe in Tenten's innocence; but as a shinobi with concern over an upcoming crisis, she hoped they'd been able to gather more intelligence on the enemy's plans.

"Ibiki is confident she had no involvement," Shikamaru answered.

He sounded as conflicted as Sakura felt.

"What about other associates?" Sasuke asked.

"Nothing." Shikamaru wasn't happy about it. "Either Taisa was well-suited for espionage by nature, or no one paid her enough attention to ask questions and be involved in her personal affairs."

Sakura felt a twinge of regret. She wondered if she had been a better friend, or if she'd been more attentive and available to Taisa, if the woman's corruption could have been prevented. But then vivid memories from the hospital flooded her; being paralyzed, truly being helpless, not just feeling it, and the pure terror. Even just thinking about it caused Sakura's heart to slam against her chest and she had to close her eyes to force herself to breathe.

"What about you guys?" Temari asked. "Did you find anything?"

Shikamaru might have had limited updates, but Sakura had plenty to share. She took another deep breath and opened her eyes.

"There's only one text that put chakra infusion and chakra harvesting together," Sakura told them. "Medical ninjutsu wasn't yet an organized discipline and practices weren't regulated until the first village was established, so record keeping wasn't much of a priority. What I found came from a personal diary that belonged to Uchiha Yui. According to the dates, she would have lived around the same time as Madara's grandmother."

"How does it discuss the infusion and harvesting?" Shikamaru asked, holding a cigarette between his finger and palm, craving a smoke now that their meal was finished.

"It's the instructions on how to do it," Sakura said, still surprised by the discovery herself. "Chakra infusion requires the expertise of a medical nin. It sounds like it was a practice used to sabotage the opponent's healers in war. By infusing chakra with poison and only injuring the enemy shinobi, then when the enemy's medical nin went to heal their own comrades, it would spread to the healer and incapacitate them."

"That's fighting dirty," Temari scowled.

"It was," Sakura agreed. "Like child soldiers, it fell out of practice when hidden villages brought structure and order to shinobi life."

"If it can transfuse poison, which is harmful, can it infuse something helpful, like chakra or a lifeforce?" Temari asked.

"No." Sakura shook her head. "It's not a version of the forbidden resurrection jutsu Lady Chiyo used, if that's what you're thinking of. It only works with natural elements, like minerals or an herbal poison, but not chakra or any form of jutsu. That's why medical nin today don't know about it. It isn't able to be used for healing. It's only obvious purpose is to be used as a weapon."

Shikamaru looked bored as he flicked his cigarette back and forth between his fingers, but Sakura knew better than to believe that. "What about chakra harvesting?"

"It's the reverse of chakra infusion. Even the methodology is exactly the reverse. Whereas chakra infusion is when someone has another source of chakra inserted into their own, chakra harvesting is when someone takes another person's chakra from them. Both require a natural element as the conduit, since chakra is too powerful and difficult to touch on its own. In the diary, Yui described the use of a mineral form of iron as the conduit. But I think Taisa used hemlock to paralyze me, and I wonder if Daishiro plans to use black powder for chakra harvesting."

"How did Taisa know how to infuse poisoned chakra into you?" Temari wondered.

"Well, it was more like she tricked me into infusing poisoned chakra into myself," Sakura explained. "I didn't know the methodology for chakra infusion or its ability to hide the natural element. Whoever helped Taisa initiated the process and knew that how I would heal her was a maneuver that would complete the process. Without knowing it or sensing the hemlock, I infused the poison through my healing chakra."

"Alright," Shikamaru said. "So, what aren't you telling me yet?"

Sakura was grim. She pushed the stack of notes that Sasuke had transcribed for her toward their Jonin Commander and the Hokage's most trusted adviser.

"There's no relevant use for chakra harvesting to help or heal, just like there isn't for chakra infusion. It isn't able to be utilized for resurrection or reanimation. The only purpose I could find for chakra harvesting is once it's been stored."

"Stored?" Shikamaru finally paused with his unlit cigarette.

Once it was stored, it was a powerful force that could be carefully released, or forcefully exploded. She and Sasuke hadn't been able to find or think of another purpose for it.

"I can explain, but I think you should read everything for yourself." Sakura swallowed nervously, as though she'd been dreading the inevitable, and the inevitable was finally near. "Then we can see if you reach the same conclusion or not."

Sasuke looked between the two of them. Though Sakura hadn't expressed that she was afraid, he knew that the Nara clansman realized there was a good reason to be. After a long pause, Shikamaru wordlessly took the notes and went outside.

"Do you mind taking him for a moment, Sakura?" Temari asked, gesturing to the sleeping baby in her arms.

"Of course not." Sakura smiled lightly, lifting her hands.

Temari transferred Shikadai into Sakura's arms, careful not to wake him. Sakura positioned his head in the nook of her arm, rocking him and watching until she was sure he wouldn't stir. With her hands now free, Temari took a pear from the basket and then left to join Shikamaru.

Though Sakura's muscular strength felt almost entirely back to normal, she crossed her legs to rest her folded arms on the top of her thigh and knee just in case. She fixed the blanket around Shikadai and smiled again at the sound of his soft snores.

When she looked back up, Sasuke was watching them. His eyes were focused, as though concentrated on reading or learning a new jutsu.

"Do you want children?"

Sasuke's question surprised her. On reflex, she asked, "What?"

But she had heard him. His eyes were on the sleeping babe, the tuft of dark hair distinguishing him as a Nara.

"I haven't really thought about it," Sakura answered finally, turning toward the baby, too.

How could she of? For as long as she could remember, she'd only loved and wanted to be with Sasuke. If he never returned that love, she knew she couldn't honestly date, marry, or have a child with someone else without feeling fraudulent. In the corner of her mind, during the sweeter moments in her dreams, she'd hoped that one day Sasuke would love her, too. But she'd spent so long and tried so hard to quiet those hopes and cover those dreams, she'd never let herself think about what it might be mean if he did love her, if he did want to marry her. If he did want to have children with her.

Besides the girlish dreams of wanting to be the one he chose to help restore his clan, she hadn't truly thought it through in earnest.

Sakura looked up at him. "I assume you still do?"

But Sasuke didn't answer right away, either. She figured that even more so than her, he was cognizant of the vast distance between his mindset as a mourning child and the reality of what he now knew, and who he now was, as he for the first time focused on building his own life, reinventing what it meant to be an Uchiha.

Sasuke's sigh was so quiet she almost hadn't heard it. "The world isn't a safe place for a child to be born into."

Sakura didn't need to think about that. "You're making it one, though."

Surprised at her words, Sasuke's eyes flashed to her. It was almost a frown that claimed his visage.

"You and Naruto were both entrusted by The Sage of Six Paths to find a way for shinobi to be fair and just with chakra, to make this world a better place that is safe and good for everyone."

Sakura thought of Naruto's frequent shouting of his future accomplishments, and the steadfast manner in which Sasuke remained by his side, half-hearted when he rolled his eyes. The sun and the moon were in their hearts if no longer on their palms. They weren't just best friends who loved one another like brothers; they were two halves of a whole. Fate failed with Hagoromo and Hamura, then Asura and Indra, and every generation leading up to Hashirama and Madara. It wouldn't fail with the two of them, though.

Gently maneuvering Shikadai between only one of her arms, she reached for Sasuke's hand. "I have no doubt you two will figure it out."

If he previously wore what was almost a frown, she watched it turn into what was almost a smile.

"You know what the dobe would say."

Sakura grinned. "_Believe it."_

Sasuke shook his head to refrain from laughing, but then he brought her hand toward his lips and kissed the top of her fingers. He blamed the impulsive move on her encouraging words and laughable impression of Naruto, and not how it felt to see her effortless hold of a dark-haired babe in her arms.

.

.

When Shikamaru came back inside, he was alone. "We have a problem."

Before Sakura could ask what that was, or where Temari went, Shikamaru came to her side and reached for Shikadai. Sakura lifted his baby up to him, and Shikamaru frowned, holding his son close.

Sakura nervously looked to Sasuke, then stood up to face Shikamaru again. "We think they may have figured out how to store the chakra into a bomb."

"You're right," Shikamaru said. "And I know where they're planning to detonate it."

Sakura lost her breath.

"Where?" Sasuke asked.

Amidst the sudden movement and his father's worried grip, Shikadai woke up. As he struggled to become conscious again, he began to cry, moving fitfully in his father's arms. Shikamaru held him to his chest as he turned toward the door that Temari still hadn't come through.

"We decoded recent communication about the new ninja academy the Sand Village is opening for children. It said 'If there's a place that will send a message, this is it.' We didn't know what kind of message they meant."

Sakura flinched. "An… an academy? With children?"

Sasuke frowned. "The future of the shinobi in Sand."

"There's an opening ceremony in a few days. It won't be just the children, but the most influential shinobi families, Kazekage, Daimyo, and half the village."

"What are we going to do?" Sakura asked, fists clenched and heart racing.

"Temari left to send word to Gaara. I need to update Kakashi-sama." Shikamaru looked at Sakura, as stern as she'd ever seen him. "You need to remain safe and keep your chakra out of their hands. If they failed to harvest chakra from you but need it before the academy's opening ceremony, they'll either need to make a second attempt on you or get it from someone else. And they'll do it soon."

Neither of them were thrilled with being told to sit and wait.

"I'll send word to Naruto," Sasuke said, already preparing to summon a hawk.

"If it's safe, meet me at Kakashi's house later tonight. If it's safer here, stay here." With that, Shikamaru left.

Sakura watched Sasuke write a note to Naruto and frowned. There _had _to be something she could do. When Sasuke was finished, he remained at the table, his hand flat on the table as he stared off to the distance. After a moment, he turned back to her, clearly agitated.

"This isn't a good enough plan."

"We still don't know enough," Sakura said, agreeing with them. "So the plan is still to remain on the defensive and do nothing."

"If they can't get to you or Naruto, they can't use your chakra for a bomb. But…"

"But we don't even know for sure if it's me or Naruto they're after," Sakura finished. "What if they plan to harvest chakra from someone we haven't thought of, someone who isn't being defended?"

Sasuke knew her protest was not just in frustration, but in effort to plan. "Without knowing who they want to capture, how can we plan to stop them?"

Sakura could only think of one option. "Well, maybe we can make sure we _do_ _know_ who they're going after."

"You mean a trap." Sasuke paused. "With you as the bait."

"I was the original target, and now I'm the weakened target," Sakura prompted.

"I thought you said the damsel in distress ploy was a cliché."

"It is. That's exactly why it could work."

Sasuke looked as though he'd rather do anything but continue the conversation, yet he knew better than to insult her by shutting her idea down. She was right, and he knew it.

"Alright," he agreed. "How?"

"Oh, I think I have an idea."

When Sakura smiled mischievously, Sasuke wasn't sure whether to be upset with her willingness to throw herself into harm's way, or grateful for a teammate who was strong, smart, and competent.

Both were true.

Both were reasons he felt drawn to kiss her.

As he listened to Sakura detail her plan, he thought of more reasons than one to hope this Anti-Alliance Movement could be dealt with swiftly.

.

.

.

"Can our original plan remain intact?" Kakashi asked, hoping for at least one piece of good news.

"Yeah," Shikamaru grumbled. "When I told both of them to stay put, I wasn't sure which one would attack me first."

"Hm." Kakashi would have smiled, if the circumstances were any better. "Then they'll likely take matters into their own hands."

"What about Naruto? Sasuke sent him a message as I left."

But Shikamaru already knew the answer to his own question.

"Oh, I'm confident he'll disobey my orders, too."

Shikamaru lazily lifted a brow. "It doesn't even bother you."

At this, Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle. "On the contrary, I'm proud."

Because those in the ninja world who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. If that was the only lesson Team Seven had learned from him, that was fine to him. It was the only one that mattered.

.

.

.

It was almost painful to stop herself from grinning like a madwoman. Sakura raced through the outskirts of the village, alone and unarmed. After throwing a tantrum outside the hospital, hollering at Sasuke for his "arrogant smug face" and how he was an "emotionally unavailable, willfully stupid asshat" who she'd "absolutely _wasted_" more than half her life pining over, followed by a nice punch that sent him flying across the plaza and crashing into vegetable cart, she was feeling confident the scene had done its job. Gossip of their lover's quarrel and her fleeing the village in a tearful fury would surely spread through Konoha like wildfire.

As she ran toward the training grounds she was famous for brutalizing, Sakura remained on high alert. She'd positioned herself to be the damsel. Now it was time to be in distress.

.

.

It was less than an hour before four of them made an abrupt appearance to attack her. Though the plan was formed by acknowledging the likelihood of more spies within the Leaf, it still came as a surprise to Sakura. The team of plain-clothed men who clearly had shinobi training were not only highly-skilled, but they were cohesive and passionate. Two of them specialized in earth nature jutsus, which surely hadn't been a coincidence, because even her best water nature jutsus were futile. Though she was able to crush one of the men with her strength thanks to an artful kick to the gut, another had taken the opportunity to subdue her. Using Taisa to poison her chakra might have been Plan A, but they were just as prepared with a Plan B. The remaining three men were able to bind her wrists and then ankles with chakra-blocking restraints. It was startling how prepared, organized, and well-equipped they'd been as they went unnoticed within the Leaf village.

Even restrained, Sakura floundered and fought from their grip. After she managed to elbow one of them in the face, easily breaking his nose upon impact, he became frustrated. Nose bleeding, he bent down, grabbed a large rock, and swung it to the side of her head. Sakura's wriggling body went limp, unconscious from the blow. As the bloodied shinobi nursed his wound, another one of the men slung Sakura's petite frame over his shoulder.

"Come on," the man snapped. "We need to get out of here. They'll be coming after her."

They left their fallen comrade behind and took off.

Hidden behind the brush several hundred feet away, Sasuke stepped into the open clearing and watched as the ninja fled.

"Alright. They're gone."

Sakura stepped out from behind him. "Well that was fast. Did you even have me put up a fight?"

His sharingan continued to spin as he turned back to her. "You killed one of them."

"One out of four?" She was indignant. "That's all you think I'm good for?"

"No," Sasuke sighed. "But the more we keep alive, the more we can interrogate later."

"Alright," she conceded. Then, relieved, she smiled. "I can't believe it worked."

"Hn." Sasuke could.

While Sakura was still only an average genjutsu performer, and the shinobi who plotted to kidnap her knew that, it was precisely the reason she decided to play off that weakness. If they expected her to fight with her super strength or water style jutsu and had planned accordingly, it might be easier to counter them with a weaker skill they hadn't planned on her utilizing. She may not be skilled enough to maintain a genjutsu over four of them for very long, but Sasuke could. When the assailants first approached her, she immediately released the genjutsu to distract them and hide. Only a few minutes behind her, Sasuke arrived and added his own layer of genjutsu over hers. His more powerful and complete picture of them fighting Sakura, and winning, took over their minds. The body they carried back was not Sakura's, but their own fallen comrade.

"When do you want to start following them?" Sakura asked.

"We should wait until the others get here."

Sakura tilted her head. "Who?"

As if on cue, a swift moving shadow from above caught their attention. On his winged super beast imitation, Sai flew in fast. He hopped off his artistic creature before it could land.

"You're supposed to be in hiding, Ugly," Sai admonished.

Then he looked between the two of them, confused at how their relaxed demeanor and close proximity to one another didn't seem to match the furious feud his imitation critters had observed in the plaza.

"We decided that was a poor plan," Sakura announced.

Sai blinked. "Your argument in the plaza was for show."

"Was it a good one?" Sakura smirked.

Sai turned to Sasuke, though. "You looked genuinely startled. I wouldn't have taken you for an actor."

"I think the surprise _was_ genuine," Sakura laughed.

Sasuke declined to comment.

"So what's the plan, then? We follow them?" Sai asked.

Sasuke turned toward the opposite direction. "Not until Naruto gets here."

Sakura's brows lifted. "Did he say that he's coming?"

"No," Sasuke said. "I just know that he will."

"You're right," Sai chimed in. "I saw him heading this way, too. He'll be here in another moment."

Sakura shook her head in laughter. Excitement and adrenaline began to pulse through her. She couldn't have planned for it to go any better.

Naruto came crashing through the clearing next. "Hey, wait up!"

He skidded to a halt next to Sai. With slanted eyes from Sage Mode and his signature fox snarl, he jabbed his index finger into Sasuke's chest.

"The next time you decide to let Sakura toss you around like a rag-doll, you better wait until I can be there to watch."

Sai was disappointed in himself. "You knew it was a pretense?"

"Oh yeah," Naruto answered, clasping a brotherly hand atop Sakura's shoulder. "The only man Sakura-chan wouldn't lay a hand on is _Sasuke-kun._ It's the rest of us who have to suffer her wrath."

Sakura huffed, but since he wasn't wrong, she didn't counter him.

"So, what's the plan?" Naruto asked.

"Well," she mused. "This was it. We need them to think they've succeeded for as long as possible, and we have to hope if we follow them, they'll lead us to someplace significant."

"Or someone significant," Sasuke added.

"Alright," Naruto lifted his hands, both of them curled into fists. "Let's go."

.

.

.

"There are almost fifty of them." Naruto didn't sound concerned, but excited for a challenge.

The four of them were perched in Sai's flying super beast imitation, looking down on what appeared as nondescript as any cave covered by shrubbery, but apparently hosted some sort of stronghold for the Anti-Alliance Movement in the Land of Fire. Any moment now, the men who 'captured' Sakura were going to break through the genjutsu and realize their mistake.

"Fifty?" Sakura repeated. "That's too many. We don't know enough about them, who they have in their ranks, or what they can do."

"We're here because we decided 'not knowing enough' can't keep stalling us. We're just going to have to go in blind. Besides," Naruto said, looking over to Sasuke. "We have the rinnegan."

Sasuke rarely relied on the rinnegan. It was far more familiar and comfortable to use his sharingan, and most of the time that was all he needed. But he knew the use of the Naraka Path could enable him to summon the King of Hell for effective interrogation. He'd be able to get the information they desperately needed.

"Alright," Sakura said. "Then Sai and I should go in first. We're both strongest from long distance, and we can draw them out for Sasuke. They won't expect you to be here, Naruto, so you should remain here until we need you for a surprise ambush. Once we've drawn everyone out, you can attack from behind."

"Eh," Naruto frowned. "Or I can go in, storm the place with one hundred clones, and kick their asses two-to-one."

"We don't need to kick their asses," Sakura countered. "We need to ensure we find out everything we can to prevent them from organizing an attack in Sand, or elsewhere."

"You're right," Naruto admitted, lifting a hand to swat a fly away from his face. Then he turned to Sasuke. "Do you agree with the plan?"

Sasuke didn't answer at first, instinctively turning to Sakura. She was putting on her gloves when she felt his gaze and looked up.

"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun," she said, deceptively sweet. "I promise I can do better than only taking one out of four out."

He had a feeling he was never going to live that down.

"Alright." Sasuke turned to Sai, who was crouched and ready to go, too. "Go ahead."

.

.

Only Sasuke and the man he interrogated could see the King of Hell. After three others had died from their lies, the one he held now stared down at the ground with guilt and fear, admitting the truth.

"Kaito and his older sister, Eshima, lost both of their parents to the alliance. Eshima had been studying medical ninjutsu, but forfeited it, resenting the shinobi lifestyle. Kaito, too, left the ninja academy, and went on to become a merchant. They were determined to revive our nation without further intrusion from the ninja, but then after the alliance invaded more, we were forced to go underground, meeting in secret."

"What does this have to do with Daishiro?" Sasuke asked.

The man pressed his lips to a close, but the grotesque purple tongue darted from the King of Hell's mouth, and he whimpered. "H-he sought after Eshima and convinced her to partner our organization with his movement. Kaito and a few others weren't certain at first, but Daishiro had more men, weapons, wealth, and connections. We voted to join his movement. Eshima's practically been his right hand since then."

The true second-in-command was Kousuke, whose brother he had interrogated on Sai's ANBU mission. Sasuke had a feeling that Eshima was the medical nin responsible for discovering the historical purpose of chakra infusion and harvesting.

"What about the chakra harvesting? Who are the targeted shinobi?"

"H-Haruno Sakura from the Land of Fire and Tanaka Sora from the Land of Water."

"Have they taken Tanaka Sora?"

"N-no," the man stuttered fearfully. "They accidentally killed him while trying to bring him in, and Eshima said she needed him alive."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. If Sakura was their last option, then they'd be even more desperate to get her.

"What's the plan, after harvesting the chakra?"

"T-that's my job," the man admitted. "After Eshima harvested it from the Leaf kunoichi, she has these specialized containers she made from black powder and clay to store the chakra in. I'm supposed to bring it to Kousuke in two days."

"Where's Kousuke?"

"... In the Hidden Village of Sand."

"_Where?"_

The man began to cry, holding his face in his hands. "T-the old inn, Saboten Jūsu."

"Is that where Kousuke is now?"

He nodded. "P-please. Please let me go."

Sasuke didn't need the King of Hell to frighten the man. He flash stepped before him, grabbed his shirt, and yanked him upward.

"What happens when Kousuke gets your delivery?"

The man shook his head, a slobbering mess. Sasuke tightened his grip and pulled him closer.

"Need I remind you, when you lie before the King of Hell, he kills you."

The man inhaled snot and tears. "Kousuke will bring it to the target. He's the only one who knows how to activate it."

"You mean an explosion?"

"Y-yeah. T-the black powder amplifies the chakra source. Kousuke can use it to detonate an explosion."

"Where at?"

Even in Sasuke's grip, the man shook his head. He refused to answer.

"Is the new Sand Ninja Academy the target?" Sasuke asked.

"N-no."

"With innocent children and civilians?"

"Of course not," the man whimpered quietly. "No."

Sasuke looked at him for a moment. No, he had said.

"Alright," Sasuke said, tossing the man to the ground. _Let's see what the King of Hell judges._

There was a swarm of fuchsia smoke from the King's mouth that enveloped them both. As Sasuke suspected, the King of Hell discerned those last words as a lie. Sasuke wasn't happy for the confirmation. He turned away as the King ate the pathetic man's tongue, killing him.

Then he heard a pained, bloodcurdling scream that sounded as foreign as it did familiar.

_Sakura. _

.

.

"Please," Sakura begged. "Please don't do this."

Sasuke arrived at the scene as a flash of black lightning. What he saw surprised him, but didn't concern him any less. A woman with dark auburn hair, tanned olive skin, and a slashed Earth country forehead protector held Naruto within her grasp, a kunai pointed at his neck. No doubt to make her point, there was a thin slice of opened skin that bled down his chest, staining his shirt iron-red. The same chakra-blocking shackles the men had prepared for Sakura were tightened around Naruto's wrists. Somehow, Naruto had been knocked unconscious and taken hostage.

"You're Eshima."

Sasuke held his katana tightly, but kept it lowered to his side.

The woman, Eshima, lifted a brow. "Torture my men to discern that, eh? That makes you the 'Sharingan-user.'"

Sakura was certain the woman had made the mistake of looking into Sasuke's eyes, but even as his sharingan spun, Eshima didn't react as if she'd been overpowered by a genjutsu.

"I'm blind, you idiots." Eshima laughed, the kunai never moving from Naruto's throat. "Your 'visual prowess' has no influence over me."

Suddenly, it made sense to Sakura now. Eshima had fought her and Naruto from a long distance, utilizing the earth to block and strike. The only time Naruto had landed a blow on her was when he'd attacked from above, launching off a tree, and even then she'd deflected him with a kunai once she'd heard him approach. Sakura couldn't help but be impressed that the woman had adapted her other senses and skills to still be able to fight so well.

Sasuke didn't appear concerned. He took a step forward, the katana still to his side, as he studied Naruto's limp frame.

"You have no reason to take him," Sasuke said, sounding unconcerned, too. "You can't harvest chakra from him. It's too volatile to withdraw or store."

Though it was a partial bluff, Sasuke felt confident enough about the conclusion he'd drawn. If Naruto had never been one of their targets, even though he had far more chakra than Sakura, it must have been because the nine-tailed fox's chakra was too dangerous to handle.

"Hm." Eshima didn't frown. In fact, she started to smile, rearranging herself to stand directly behind Naruto. "Oh, I still have a good reason to take him. You can't kill me without killing him."

Sakura continued to bargain. "No, please. It's me you want, not him. Let Naruto go and I'll go with you."

_No_. Sasuke's eyes darted toward her as she walked toward Eshima_. __What are you thinking?_

Eshima laughed dryly. "You'd sacrifice yourself for this pitiful fool?"

"He's in line to be our next Hokage," Sakura snapped. "I'm just a nobody."

"Sakura." Neither of them were sure if Sasuke's words were a plea or reprimand.

"It's fine, Sasuke-kun. I bet she isn't even skilled enough to harvest the chakra, anyway."

"Hm." Eshima glared at her. "Well then, I guess we'll see."

When Sakura took the final step to Eshima, she flung the kunai from Naruto's throat in Sasuke's direction, distracting him for the sliver of a second he needed to dodge. In that partial second, she swiftly made the hand signs needed for an earth nature jutsu that erupted beneath Sakura's feet. Sakura yelped in surprise, but it was too late. The earth crumpled and reformed around her feet, knees, waist, and then chest, effectively cementing her into place. While Sasuke flashed toward Eshima, she used the same earth to drive him back and herself one step forward. Sasuke leapt up, avoiding the moving earth, while Eshima took her place behind Sakura. Just like before, Eshima took out a kunai and directed it at Sakura's throat. Beside them, Naruto's limp body fell to the ground.

"Well then," Eshima said, clearly proud of herself. "Send your little dog guard away, Haruno."

With only the tops of her shoulder, neck, and head able to be moved, Sakura could still lift her chin and look to Sasuke.

"I'll be fine," she assured him.

Sasuke stood several feet way, directly in front of her, frozen with his katana limp in his grasp as it pointed to the ground. To others, he might appear as immobile and unaffected as a statue. She saw the chaos in his eyes, though. He was searching for a solution, attempting to form a plan.

"Trust me," Sakura said, making sure he held eye contact with her. "I know what I can sacrifice."

Sasuke blinked. Her words echoed in his mind, familiar to him. Though at first he paused from uncertainty, he knew now was not the time for a distraction, and he started to dismiss the tug on his memory. But then it came back to him.

_She was about to describe how she__ leapt in front of Sasori's blade, the origin of the scar, but then she hesitated._

_Noticing, he was able to guess what happened next. "You used yourself as a shield."_

_"Mhm," she hummed. "There was no time for anything else."_

_Sasuke resumed his gentle traversing over her scar with his thumb and forefinger. Then he asked, "Did it run through you?"_

_Answering his question, Sakura pushed herself upward and leaned down, exposing her back to him. Sasuke, holding her over the scar on her abdomen, ran his fingers across her side to her back, and from underneath her sweater, felt the matching scar on her back. It was raised to the same height, and he could feel it at the same width and height. With only one hand, he maneuvered her sweater upward in the back to see the scar. It looked almost the exact same as the one on the front. Sakura wrapped her arms around her front to hold the edges of the sweater, and Sasuke used his calloused fingers to gently inspect this scar, too._

_"You've developed a habit of impaling yourself on purpose." _

_"If I know what I can heal, I know what I can sacrifice." _

When Sasuke looked to Sakura, he studied the amethyst gem shaped like a rhombus in the center of her forehead. Ever since it had been activated on the battlefield all of those years ago, it had remained there permanently. A promise of strength and perfection.

"Before you go, why don't you get the shackles off the 'future Hokage' and bring them to me?" Eshima taunted. "Do it slowly. I might be blind, but I feel everything through the ground. If you move an inch too far or too fast, I'll slit her throat."

Sasuke kept his gaze on Sakura's forehead. When he finally looked to her, she could see that he understood.

"Go on," Sakura said, as if agreeing with Eshima's instructions. "Do it."

They had to time it perfectly, or else she'd be dead. By Eshima's hand, or by his own.

_I trust you,_ Sakura's eyes seemed to say.

Sasuke took a breath, and then, as if the woman he loved was not standing directly in front of the enemy he targeted, he activated his Chidori sharp spear and aimed it toward Eshima's heart.

.

.

The earth surrounding Sakura's frame crumbled and fell to dust. Behind her, Eshima slumped to the ground, gurgling in an attempt to suck down air as blood filled her chest cavity and drowned her. With hands clutching at the wound on her sternum, she bled out. In an instant, Sasuke flashed before Sakura's frame. She trembled as she attempted to step, and Sasuke wrapped an arm around her, helping her stand. Then he set her down against a tree trunk, knelt beside her, and looked for the wound that had pierced and sizzled through her clothes.

But it wasn't there.

He couldn't help it. He touched the black lines that had formed from beneath her hairline, crossed over her forehead, ran past each eye, and traveled down past her neck. He traced the left line down to her collarbone, and then paused at the top of her blouse. Underneath the singed clothes, what should have been a fatal blow above her heart was a wound that already healed and skin that had seamlessly pulled itself back together again.

"Hmm," Sakura murmured, enjoying his probing touch far more than she should considering it had been only a moment since their fight with Eshima ended.

Sasuke looked to her. "You planned for this when you offered to switch places with Naruto."

Sakura tried, but failed, to hide a mischievous smile. "Actually, Naruto and I both did when we planned for him to be captured."

Sasuke looked over at their unconscious teammate. He remembered what Sai had said about Naruto being predictable and self-sacrificial. It seemed the lack of intel on the enemy didn't interfere with Sakura's ability to strategize; since the only intel they had was what the enemy knew about her and her comrades, she consistently used it against them.

"How could you have known I'd make it in time?" Sasuke challenged.

"Well, I knew if I screamed loud enough, you'd come."

"Hn. The 'damsel in distress.'"

"That's right," she grinned.

"Where's Sai?" Sasuke asked.

"A few of them ran off. We decided it'd be better not to attack, but to follow them and see where they'd lead us to. He's tailing them from the sky."

He nodded, then filled her in on what he had learned through interrogation.

"We need to find this Kousuke," Sakura frowned.

Sasuke looked over to their still unconscious teammate. "We'll head out when Naruto wakes up."

Sakura nodded. "I'll heal him. It's not as bad as it looks."

Sasuke stood up first. He offered his good hand to her, and she accepted his help, standing back up, too. When she released her Strength of a Hundred Seal, Sasuke watched as the black marks withdrew from her skin. He looked again at the scorched clothing in the center of her chest. It was as though none of it had happened.

Sasuke stood so close that she couldn't move past him until he stepped back, which he didn't. Sakura lifted her chin to look up at him.

"Not a bad formation," she boasted. "We make a good team, eh?"

He wanted to tell her that they shouldn't make it a habit, but the glimmer of triumph in her wide jade eyes stopped him.

"Aa." Sasuke agreed. _We do._

The kiss from yesterday had been interrupted by his concern over her safety. Now, though, the most urgent threat against her life had just been mitigated. Adrenaline still pounding through his veins, he stepped even closer to her, wrapped his hand around her neck, and slid his thumb from her chin to her jaw, pulling her lips toward his own. The noise from Sakura's gasp was lost as he kissed her, the opposite of hesitant, and she responded instantly. Sakura pressed one hand to his chest, used the other to hold onto his waist, and leaned into his impassioned kiss. It felt like a magnetic pull had aligned their lips to where they belonged.

They kissed fervently, both of them eager to make up for lost time. Sasuke pressed into her, pushing her against the tree trunk. Sakura didn't wait for his tongue to ask for entry, but held his waist tighter as she bit his bottom lip. Sasuke's fingers tangled in her hair, loosening her ponytail, as he slid his tongue to hers, claiming her mouth. There had been several times in the last few months he'd craved her touch, but she tasted and felt even better than he'd remembered in those lustful moments.

Gentle the first time, Sasuke pulled her hair. When it elicited a pleasured moan from her parted lips, it motivated him further. He pressed his lips to her exposed neck, kissing her from the bottom of her jaw to the edge of her collarbone, his tongue teasing her as it traversed the vulnerable skin. As she squirmed and sighed, he pressed his waist further into her. When Sasuke finally returned to her lips, Sakura clutched his hair, anchoring herself to him as she channeled the warmth driving past her navel into the passion of her next kiss.

"Oh for fuck's sake." Naruto's horrified exclamation interrupted them.

Sasuke took a step back. Sakura flushed ten shades of red, and she hastily pressed her loose, frazzled strands of hair back.

"We're in the middle of a mission," Naruto sputtered, his nose pinched as if it stunk. He turned toward the dead kunoichi who had taken him hostage. "I'm knocked unconscious by the enemy, yet you two use it as an opportunity to jump each other's bones. And you're supposed to be the responsible ones. Ha!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"T-that's not what was happening," Sakura refuted. "I was just about to come heal you."

Naruto tried to glare at her, but he was too amused at her disheveled embarrassment. "Uh-huh, Sakura-chan. Sure. _That's_ what you were thinking about."

Sakura struggled to hide her smile as she apologized. "I'm sorry, Naruto."

"Yeah, yeah," he shrugged. Two flies circled his head and he swatted them. "Stupid flies. So, what happened?"

"Wait," Sasuke said. His sharingan spun to life, and he studied the 'flies' that hovered by Naruto. "Those are Shino's kikaichū."

Naruto took a closer look. "Oh, yeah. You're right. Then that must mean Shino and his team are following us."

After fixing her hair and rearranging her wraps under her scorched top, Sakura approached Naruto to heal the wound at the back of his head.

"Bet Kakashi won't be happy with us," Sakura murmured. "We both left the village and didn't stay hidden."

"Oh, did he really expect us to sit around and do nothing?" Naruto sulked.

Like the arrival of a summoning, Shino, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji sped through the trees, came to a halt once above them, and dropped down to join them on the ground.

"No," Shikamaru said, having eavesdropped on the last portion of their conversation. "No, he didn't."

At the sight of Shikamaru's slight smirk, Sakura's mouth dropped, Sasuke grunted, and Naruto grinned.

"Alright then," Naruto said. "Then let's go! Sai's trailing them now."

"You're not going with us."

Naruto frowned at Shikamaru's abrupt words. "What do you mean?"

"Kakashi-sama needs you in the village for the next phase. Our team is here to pick up where you left off."

"Next phase?" Sakura questioned.

"Even if we stop the attack in Sand, and even if we neutralize Daishiro, there's an entire movement that's not only gathered against the allied shinobi nations, but has been able to operate right underneath our nose in our home village."

"There's more to worry about than just one terrorist attack," Naruto surmised.

Shikamaru nodded.

Ino offered a reassuring smile, one hand on her hip. "Don't worry, Naruto. Team Ten has got it from here."

Shino deadpanned. Choji paused from snacking and elbowed Shino in a friendly manner. "And you, Shino."

"Alright then," Naruto conceded. He had been thinking about the 'next phase' ever since him and Kakashi's talk over dinner the other night.

"So, Forehead," Ino said, gesturing at the hole in Sakura's shirt. "Fill us in."

After the original Team Seven updated the relief squad, Sasuke sent a hawk to update Gaara and his team about Kousuke's location, and then Team Ten and Shino took off.

"Let's go home." Naruto turned to his two best friends. "Hey, think of it this way, the sooner we get back, the sooner you two can smash."

Before Sakura could get the chance to grab him and pummel him, he took off.

Sasuke shook his head. He thought about 'the future' Sakura had spoke about earlier, and turned to her. He wasn't sure what it would look like or how well he would do in it, but when he watched her push a remaining loose strand of hair back, saw the cords of muscle ripple in her arm, and admired how the tinge of pink atop her cheekbones paired with the smitten smile she gifted to him, he knew one thing for certain. He was looking forward to it.

.

.

* * *

_**A/N**_: So, this was never intended to be an action/adventure fic, and writing this chapter felt like pulling teeth. There are very talented writers who can detail fight scenes in Naruto mythology, but it is not my cup of tea nor my forte, and it shows in the 'meh' writing. This arc was necessary I felt, and I hope realistic enough for canon, but it will be coming to a swift close for our main characters. The remaining few chapters are written more like the first few chapters; the daily routines and domestic life, most significant moments, and transitional elements of their relationship. Thank you and thank you again, kind reviewers, followers, and readers! Of course, your thoughts, feedback, noticing of my errors, and input is always appreciated!

Are you all familiar with the five love languages? I felt like Sasuke's would be acts of service, quality time, and physical touch, while Sakura's would be words of affirmation, quality time, and physical touch.

\- Helena


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N**_: Hey all, hope you are all well and okay! This COVID-19 Pandemic has absolutely overturned life and society here, and my heart hurts for any of you are impacted. I've been really busy and anxious, but trying to be grateful for having two jobs and my health, neither which can be taken for granted right now. I'm sorry for the long delay on this - as I mentioned, I do have most of this written, but I detoured myself by writing a different fic and I'm in the middle of moving. Pretty sure there will be mistakes or typos in this and I will regret that I posted it prematurely, but I wanted to update before life gets too hectic again.

Thank you so very much for those who are reviewing and messaging me! I fell behind on replying to reviews and messages after being burned out by the hateful messages, which I regret- I'm sorry if I missed replying to you because of it. Constructive critiques and noticing my errors are of course always welcome, and I really do appreciate those of you who let me know what you think!

Hope you all enjoy, hope this can be a distraction for anyone who needs it.

\- H.

* * *

**Something Left**

Chapter 10

* * *

It was Naruto who slowed their pace as they neared the entrance into Konoha. Though Sasuke had sent him a curious glance, and Sakura attempted to ask for the reason, the brief remainder of their trek home was silent. Though neither of them needed a reminder of the sobering circumstances, nothing could solidify how difficult this situation was with the Anti-Alliance Movement than Naruto's pensive attitude on it.

Their team reached the gates and when Naruto led them to halt, Sakura and Sasuke followed suit. The kunoichi of Team Seven placed an affectionate hand atop Naruto's shoulder, but this time she waited for him to speak first.

"When we were children, I wanted nothing more than to become a shinobi, to start going on missions and move up the ranks, to prove our team's worth - to prove my own worth."

Naruto sighed, placing a hand atop Sakura's own. "But that's not how it is anymore. Other shinobi will go on the missions, and we'll be here. We're needed here."

_We're needed here._ It wasn't something she had thought about it in the same manner, but Naruto's observations were true. Kakashi-sensei had become the Hokage, Naruto was now his most trusted adviser, Sasuke led the Konoha Police Force in effort if not in title, and Sakura was irreplaceable at the hospital and clinic. Whatever their roles were to be in the upcoming affairs, each of them had responsibilities within the village and would prove most helpful leading from behind the scenes, instead of on the battlefield.

"Sometimes I feel like I've blinked and everything has changed," Naruto concluded with half a laugh.

It felt like that to her, too, but it wasn't true. Years of trials, tribulations, _and _triumph spanned the time from being earnest children to leaders in their village.

"Perhaps," Sakura said. "But one thing hasn't changed."

Both Naruto and Sasuke turned to her in question.

"We're still together."

Naruto's somber mood evaporated in an instant, replaced by a fox-faced grin and brotherly squeeze of her hand.

"That's right," he said, turning toward Sasuke's soft smirked expression."We're in this together."

"Aa." Sasuke agreed. _Whatever 'this' might be. _

Naruto released Sakura's hand with a deep breath. He took out a precious family heirloom, his father's kunai marked for a teleportation jutsu.

"I'm going home to check on Hinata-chan. Will you update Kaka-sama?"

They nodded. Neither of them had the chance to say goodbye before he flashed out of sight. With an uplifted smile still adorning her lips, Sakura turned to her other teammate. Sasuke took a few steps to stand near her.

"I can find Kakashi. You should get to the hospital."

"Are you sure?" She asked, unable to help but hope that he meant it. The closer they had gotten to the village, the more her mind had swarmed with frantic thoughts of what had been unattended to, and most importantly, whom.

Sasuke nodded.

"Alright," she said, her relief evident.

Sakura abruptly became overwhelmed with gratitude, not just to be able to go to the hospital and clinic that she was desperate to check up on, but more so because her safety and freedom were finally returned. It had been a whirlwind over the last few days, but she couldn't regret it.

"You know what's strange?" Sakura prompted softly.

Sasuke waited for her to finish the thought.

"Last week I couldn't imagine how we could spend more than a few moments together," she admitted. "But now I can't imagine spending any time apart."

Sasuke's gaze remained steadfast. When at first he said nothing, she blushed and looked toward the village's entrance. "Silly, I know."

"Aa." His tone was unreadable, because it simply was or because he wanted it to be, she wasn't sure.

He took the last step needed to be next to her. "Sakura."

Like he was the puppeteer who held the strings that moved her, she turned back to him at once. He looked appropriately smug for someone who held such a command. When Sasuke moved to lovingly poke her forehead, she stared at him, mesmerized. It wasn't just the memories that his genjutsu had revealed to her, but the powerful emotions attached to them. Sakura felt breathless.

"Your belongings are still at the Uchiha Compound," he reminded her. "I'll see you tonight."

Sasuke's hand drifted back toward his side and he went to leave, but as she came back to her senses, Sakura suddenly reached for him. Before he could wonder at her motives, she made it abundantly clear. Sakura stretched on her tiptoes and held both her hands to his face, pulling him to meet her lips. She kissed him with as much devotion as she'd felt from his tap to her forehead.

Soon, he was breathless, too.

Satisfied, Sakura took a step back, letting go of him with a smile. "I'll see you tonight."

Then she left for the clinic, warmed and thrilled at the look of love and lust she'd seen so uninhibited in his mismatched eyes.

.

.

After Kakashi finished explaining the truth of his own strategic plans for their team, and all the essential updates he had received from their other comrades, Sasuke continued to look down at his tea. It didn't seem he planned to leave yet.

Kakashi peered at him. "What else is on your mind, Sasuke?"

Time in the office hadn't made Kakashi any less sharp of a shinobi. After another moment of hesitation, Sasuke asked him about something that had been bothering him throughout the last week.

"Why don't you trust Sai?"

"I do," Kakashi answered easily.

"Not the same as you trust Kurenai, Shikamaru, and I."

Kakashi realized he was referring to the first gathering he'd had in his own home to inform their group about the Anti-Alliance Movement, and then the private meeting he had afterward with just Sasuke and Sakura. On the list of whom he'd named to care for Sakura and Naruto, he hadn't named Sai.

"Hm." Kakashi became thoughtful. "I do trust Sai, it's just that I can't help but think that I shouldn't."

"Why?"

"You of all people know. What it does to a child to be alone, to not have a family, to have your brother taken from you - and to know that it is entirely your village's fault."

Sasuke did know. It was what made the foundation for what had started as a strained acquaintance between him and Sai, but then became true camaraderie and friendship. It hadn't been easy for Sasuke to accept Sai, let alone to trust him, but over the years Sai had become just as much a teammate to him as the others.

"Most everyone carries those wounds with them until they're in so much pain, they can't carry it any longer. They lose themselves, or they inflict that pain onto others. But since being released from Danzo's control, Sai has never done that. Sai hasn't lost his way."

"You think it's inevitable that he will?"

"Sometimes I do," Kakashi admitted. "And I couldn't blame him if he did."

Sasuke thought about this for a long time. He remembered his most recent mission with Sai's ANBU team. It was after the first week in their travels, when Sai could no longer tolerate what he viewed as pointless pain and torture in Sasuke's demeanor.

Sai had waited until it was only Sasuke standing guard late in the night, and then joined him to offer unsolicited advice. "You know, when I was first on Team Seven before you came home, I couldn't understand why Naruto was so adamant to bring you back, though I admired it. But I truly couldn't understand why Sakura loved you, and I felt it was less admirable when it came at her other teammate's expense."

Though Sasuke made no move to suggest he was listening, Sai had continued. "Sakura is an honorable shinobi, compassionate healer, and strong woman, yet when her morals, ethics, and even her own life were compromised because of loving you, she loved you still."

Sasuke couldn't help but frown, but he refused to acknowledge Sai. Of course, Sai was unperturbed. "To see someone bend so much of who they are because their love is so true, but never break, is rare, and beautiful. Don't you think? Then, to see that love come to fruition, to see all of the moments when her love broke you - your walls and your defenses. I have to admit, I didn't question the strength of her love, but I did wonder at the severity of your stubbornness. Yet, you _did _let her in."

Now, Sasuke was too heated to remain still. "What's your point, Sai?"

"Let go of your pride," Sai finished. "That's my point, Sasuke."

He didn't call him Traitor. He called him by his name. Despite himself, it sobered Sasuke's anger.

Sai shrugged. "You're going to fight. Knowing her, knowing you, you'll spend the rest of your lives fighting about one thing or another. You're both far too strong-willed. But it doesn't mean you shouldn't be together. It doesn't mean your love for one another is fragile."

Knowing he wouldn't get a response, Sai left him and left the topic alone for the remainder of the mission. But the truth in his words had settled into Sasuke for weeks after.

In the present moment, Sasuke had only one thing to say to Kakashi. "I trust him."

Their silver-haired Hokage was quiet for a moment. Kakashi knew better than most that Sasuke would not vouch for just anyone. Still, he asked, "Even with Sakura?"

Because Sakura was the measure of whom he cared for most.

"Yes." Sasuke didn't hesitate.

Kakashi leaned back in his chair and hummed. "I trust your judgment, Sasuke. But I'm curious what makes you so sure?"

Sasuke thought of more recent events, when Sakura had thanked Sai for being a good friend. Sai had said it was not the books that shaped him; it was the people who loved him.

"I think it works," Sasuke finally answered, thinking of Sakura's research, Naruto's uncompromising values, and both of them with their unwavering love and commitment. "I think it works, when people like Sai have people like Sakura and Naruto."

"Hmm."

Kakashi didn't need Sasuke to clarify; he knew well enough what kind of people Sakura and Naruto were and what their love could do. After another moment, Kakashi nodded. "I think you're right."

Love could save people. Not always, and not often. But sometimes, love mended the broken, healed the hurting, and ensured the lonely would not be alone.

.

.

.

It was close to midnight when Sakura made it to the Uchiha Compound. Sweat, blood, and vomit dirtied the white jacket she tucked to her chest. Nervous it was far past the time Sasuke had in mind, she knocked softly on the door and hoped he hadn't been fast asleep.

Sasuke was slow to answer the door. Though he looked as exhausted as she felt, his wet hair, shirtless torso, and damp towel in hand told her he'd been showering, not sleeping.

"I'm sorry it's late," she sighed. "It was more hectic at the hospital than I thought."

He wasn't bothered and took the dirtied jacket from her. "I just got back, too."

While he went down the hall, presumably to take the items to the laundry room, she took off her shoes and tended to the whistling tea kettle. Sasuke met her in the kitchen.

"Did you speak with Kaka-sama?"

"Aa." Sasuke took out two teacups and placed them in front of her. "Two more teams have been sent to Suna to ensure Kousuke is found."

Found, not killed. It might be true that he was the one capable of detonating the chakra bomb, but if it wasn't, extracting information from him would be essential. Sasuke filled her in on the rest of what Kakashi and Tenzo had shared with him while they stood in the kitchen and sipped tea.

"Guess that will have to do for now." Sakura collected their emptied cups and went to the sink, discontent at the thought of an imminent attack on Sand. At least by now Temari should have made it back to Gaara to inform him of the threat, and Sai had gleaned even more helpful information about other active groups in the Anti-Alliance Movement nearby and would be home soon.

Sasuke brushed a hand over hers, taking the teacups to wash them himself. "Go ahead. I can do this."

Sakura looked down at herself with a pinched face. It had been several days since she'd showered, and almost a week since she'd taken a proper bath.

"If I fall asleep and drown in the shower, it will have been worth it."

She thought she noticed a ghost of a smile on his lips before she left for the guest bathroom.

.

.

Sakura emerged from the shower with loose double braids and a cropped camisole pajama set the same dark rose color as her wet hair. It was silent in the rest of the house, but the lights were still on so she stepped quietly toward the living room. At first she didn't spot him, but once she did, an instant smile curved her lips. Sasuke lay on the chaise sofa with a fallen book and hand rested on his chest. He must have fallen asleep while reading to wait for her. For a moment she couldn't help but stand there and stare. His dark, raven-hair only served to highlight his angelic features, while his porcelain skin contrasted his scarred and sculpted physique. He looked so peaceful and content, Sakura first felt like an intruder spying in on a private moment. But then she remembered she'd been invited.

Careful not to wake him, she was light on her feet while moving to stand before him. He must have been truly exhausted, and finally certain of their safety, to not wake at her disturbances.

It was The Gutsy Ninja laying atop his chest. By the looks of it, he was a fifth of the way through it. Sakura was careful as she picked it up from him, marked the page with a loose paper he had in the back, and placed it on the side table beside them. When she turned back toward him, she wasn't surprised his eyes had opened.

"Hey," she said quietly, her smile returning at once.

Sasuke reached for her in response, placing a strong hand but gentle grip on the back of her thigh. There was no amount of tiredness in her that could have prevented the jolt it sent straight through her.

"You should go to bed," she prompted, though she didn't want him to release his touch.

He didn't. Instead he turned and pulled himself further into the couch, making room for her to lay beside him. Sakura gratefully accepted the invitation.

It was better than that overdue shower, better than coming home after a tumultuous day. She rested her head against his arm, the one she had healed herself several years prior, and turned into his warm chest. Sasuke wrapped his other arm around her. For several moments they relaxed together, not needing to speak about it to share in the same thoughts. Sasuke trailed his calloused fingers into thoughtless patterns on the skin of her bare shoulder and arms. Sakura felt a civil war erupt inside of her; one side electrifying from Sasuke's touch, the other soothed into rest.

"When are you going in tomorrow?" Sasuke asked her.

Though she deserved to take time off after everything that had happened, he knew she wouldn't do it.

"Shizune insisted I sleep in, saying while I've been gone I haven't had any more rest than her. I was in the OR most of today, I still haven't been able to tend to the clinic."

Sakura couldn't help but close her eyes as she lost track of her thoughts, absorbed in the sensation of Sasuke's fingers tracing circles down the soft skin on the back side of her arm. She felt an instinctual hum of bliss escape in her next breath, and refocused her thoughts. "How about you?"

"Tenzo said the same thing." Sasuke answered as he slid his thumb up to her shoulder.

"Are you glad to be back with the police force," she asked him softly, sliding her own hand up his chest, studying each freckle, scar, and ridge of muscle up close. This was far different than when she'd seen and touched him to provide medical attention over the last few years. "Or do you prefer missions?"

He toyed with the thin strap of her camisole. When he didn't answer for a moment, she looked up to face him, though he remained staring at the ceiling above them.

"I'm not sure I'll stay with the force for much longer," he finally answered.

Sakura was surprised, but tried not to show it. "Really?"

When he didn't offer more, she slowly came to her own realization. Though he hadn't talked about it directly, she'd noticed over the years that he would never stay in Konoha for longer than a few weeks at a time. It was as if every day in the Uchiha Compound, being in the village, put more weight onto his soul — until it became too heavy to bear, and he needed to leave, to let it go and start over again. Maybe the tragedies and the trauma this place hosted would never ease enough for him to be able to stay without being in so much pain.

Biting her lip, she asked him. "It's difficult for you to stay here for too long, isn't it?"

Sasuke's touch never halted, nor wavered, and it was the only thing that reassured her while she waited for him to respond.

"You're the only reason I stay here as long as I do."

Sakura clutched his side as if they'd been falling and she needed to hold on. "I don't want you to be unhappy here."

"I'm not," Sasuke said, actually withholding a laugh. He swallowed it, trailing his touch from her shoulder to her neck, the back of his fingers touching the hollows of her neck. "I'm not unhappy when I'm with you."

Sakura lifted her chin as his fingers caressed her neck. With her heart slamming against her chest so forcefully she wondered if he felt it too, she asked, "Then what will you do?"

"Naruto is the one who needs to stay here in the village," Sasuke said, recounting what their teammate had said earlier about their return to the village. "But he'll need someone he trusts who can travel beyond it."

She remembered what she had told him the other day, how it was the two of them working together who would ensure the world a better, safer place. If Naruto and Sasuke partnered together to address this Anti-Alliance Movement, one from inside of Konoha and the other abroad, she knew it would be successful.

"Have you talked to Naruto already?" Somehow, she knew the answer to this already.

"This afternoon," he admitted. "He mentioned it, but I'd already thought of it, too."

Two halves to a whole. The sun to the moon.

"Can I tell you what I think?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"You don't have to ask first."

"Is that a yes?"

"Aa."

"Is _that _a yes?" She teased.

Sasuke shook his head to hold in laughter. Finally, he said, "_Yes._"

"You've done a great thing by reorganizing the Konoha Police Force, but you did it to honor your family, to replicate the past. I think it will make it easier for you to be here, I think it will be easier for you anywhere, when you're focused on something new, when you're discovering your own purpose for your own future."

"Hn." Sasuke's touch didn't lighten as she'd feared; instead, he became bolder, holding her face within his hand. "I think so, too."

It was quiet while both of them thought and both of them touched. Sakura had fallen half asleep from bliss and comfort when Sasuke asked her, "Would it change things for you?"

Sakura blinked back awake. "Would your traveling change my wanting to be with you?"

"Aa."

"Of course not," she answered. "I'd miss you every day you were gone, but it'd be worth it, if it's what you want to do, if it's what you're meant to do."

Sakura pressed further into him. He shifted his legs to fit as she wrapped hers between his own.

"Besides," she added, "It would be selfish of me to want you to stay when going means you can help so many other people."

Sasuke's hand drifted from her face toward the small of her back as he settled into a comfortable position. Though there was no blanket over them, it was warm enough from each other's body heat. By the time Sasuke went to answer, Sakura's breathing had regulated to soft, shallow breaths, her hand paused at the center of his chest, and he realized she had fallen asleep.

_I don't think you know how to be selfish, Sakura._

.

.

The unwinding of their limbs and loss of a heat source must have taken her from deep sleep, but she didn't wake up yet. Sasuke sat on the floor in front of the sofa, crossed his legs, and faced the sun as it's first rays of weak light filtered through the window. He meditated for the next hour, reassured more than distracted by Sakura's nearness and the gentle sounds of her breathing in and out.

Sasuke finished as the golden light spread through the living room. He turned to look at Sakura, who faced the inside of the sofa and held her arms up to hold a pillow in his absence. Her pastel hair was aglow in the sunlight, the long ropes of braids falling down her side. Half the night he'd spent holding the bare skin of her back or arm, and he studied it now. The more time he spent with her, the more her lean, muscular shape became familiar. As did her curves. Sasuke studied the loose pajama fabric slung over her hips and the shortened hem of her shorts that almost revealed the bottom of her cheeks pressing through the thin material. Her long, strong legs stretched out to the remainder of the sofa.

Like most kunoichi would, he figured, she must have felt his gaze and stirred. With soft, sleepful movements, Sakura turned toward him. He watched her eyes, brightened jade mirroring the sun's light, as they widened in surprise, then delight, to see him.

"Good morning," she murmured.

_Yes, _he thought. _It is._

When Sasuke didn't answer, Sakura reached for him, touching a hand to his bare shoulder. "What're you doing on the ground?"

"Meditating," he answered.

He wanted to hold her, but he didn't want to stop looking at her, either. She blinked sleepily and he watched the curve of her breasts rise and fall when she took deep breaths, waking herself up. Here in his home, seeing her first thing in the morning, covered in golden light, she was breathtaking.

"Do you meditate often?" She asked, and then concerned, "Did I interrupt?"

"I was finished," he assured. Then, "Every morning if I can."

She ran her fingers across his collarbones. He saw her lips want to curve upward, and wondered if it was as simple as because she'd learned something new about him and his routine. He realized he found that appealing, too.

Sasuke looked at her neck. The last time she'd fallen asleep on his chest it had been uncomfortable, even if pleasant. "Did you sleep alright?"

"More than alright, I'd say," she smiled. "You?"

Sasuke settled. "More than alright."

She bit her lip to refrain from grinning further. "Sasuke-kun?"

"Aa?"

"I feel entirely too happy," she whispered. "It doesn't feel real."

He understood what she meant.

Sasuke took her small hand from his chest and wrapped it into his own. Their fingers started to intertwine, but because he had only one hand, he needed it. Sasuke reached for the wisps of loose hair framing her face and brushed them aside. Then he leaned in, cradled her resting face, and found her lips with his own. He kissed her slow, holding her lips in pause from one kiss to the next. Sakura dissolved into his hold, unsure how yet utterly enamored that he could feel even more intense, more loving, with slow kisses like these. It tore her heart open.

But with the love came the fear. Fear that she wouldn't be able to stitch herself back together if something went wrong again.

"Promise me it's real this time," she whispered, reaching for his hand.

"I promise."

This time, his touch explored new parts of her. He started beneath her collarbones, slid his thumb to find her sternum, and moved until the tips of his fingers slowed as they traveled to the center of her chest. Her breasts pressed together as she lay on her side and he met her eyes, searching for consent. She turned herself closer to him and his touch to give it. Sasuke resumed, his thumb at the center of dip between her breasts while the rest of his fingers moved across to cup her. Sakura simpered beneath his touch, soft murmurs and sighs slipping from her lips as he carried on.

Because she wasn't fragile, he was firm, admiring the muscles of her abdomen and then gripping her waist. His thumb pressed into the hard inside of her hip bone while the rest of his fingers wrapped around the soft cheek of her bottom. Here, Sasuke paused and looked at her.

Her cheeks had a soft blush and she looked to him with the same heated anticipation he'd seen play like a reel of film in his mind even when he'd tried hard to dismiss it. He loosened his hold on her, but didn't lift his hand.

"I've never been with anyone I cared for either," Sasuke told her.

"No?"

"No," he said. His fingers teased at the hem of her shorts as he slid them just beneath the fabric and paused. "You'd be the first."

The light pink atop her cheekbones darkened a few shades.

"I would be," she started, meaning to tease, but it came out as gentle as her breaths. "Or will be?"

Sasuke lifted his hand further under the silken material and his thumb brushed across the top of her thigh. Though Sasuke let his thumb slide down between her thighs, he didn't move his touch from her leg. Sakura held her breath.

"Will be." His hand remained in place as he massaged her. "If you'd have me."

Sakura was sincere. "You've always had me."

Sasuke's thumb moved from the top of her thigh to the skin atop her pelvic bone. He slid his thumb across the bone, still careful to keep his touch controlled even as he felt her start to quiver. Sakura stretched a hand toward him, the back of her fingers gracing his bottom lip. He tilted his head to take her fingers toward his tongue and then kissed them. She murmured something sweet and incoherent.

"Sakura." Sasuke was as quiet as she'd been, and he slid his thumb further, the rest of his fingers coming across to meet the inside of her thighs, coaxing her legs to open for him.

"Hmm?" She was too nervous to speak.

He lightened his touch as he traversed the last, sensitive space between her thigh and outer lips. She shivered and parted her legs further from the tease in his touch. Sasuke trailed up and down as he neared her center, then slid both of his fingers to her inner lips. Her wetness under his touch stole what self-control he had left.

"Will I always have you?" Sasuke slipped inside of her, one finger long and probing, and then another, filling her further.

Sakura exhaled a soft whimper, but her eyes were bright. "Always."

Startled, overwhelmed with delight, she looked into his devoted eyes while Sasuke explored inside of her. She stretched to feel him closer, and he kissed her fingers that rested on his lips. Sasuke maneuvered his thumb with slow deliberation to move north; knowing where he planned to touch, she tightened in anticipation.

"T-tell me," she asked sternly, her voice shaking from pleasure. "Do I always have you?"

Sasuke's thumb moved to encapsulate her clit with the same dedicated effort as his other fingers caressed inside of her.

"Always."

Sakura cried out softly, a half-hearted protest, and he persisted. Sasuke rubbed circles with his thumb and she felt an earthquake of pleasure. Sakura grabbed his shoulder to anchor herself. He watched her look to his waist as she turned to reach down for him.

"Come here."

Her plea went on deaf ears. "No."

He couldn't expect her to focus on herself, but like this, he could make her.

"But Sasu-"

Sasuke slipped a third finger inside of her and pressed in deep. She tried to swallow her moan but couldn't.

"You're always selfless," he told her, but moved closer to kiss her. With his lips atop hers, he asked, "Let me?"

Sakura bit her lip and swallowed the next moan, eager to respond with her lips, to channel the intensity of her pleasure into the passion of kissing him.

Sasuke thought he enjoyed kissing her before, but it didn't compare to this, hearing and feeling her struggle and squirm. Somewhere in the corner of the darker part of his mind, he remembered how often he'd left her devastated. Sasuke deepened their kiss and made a mental commitment to make her cum more times than he'd ever made her cry.

.

.

Even after she came, even when he'd seen the orgasm overtake her frame and state of mind, he kept his hand rested underneath her silken shorts. It was a new source of happiness, to see her shudder and settle, and this time when his sharingan whirled to capture the moment, she noticed from her peripheral and grinned. Instant relief flooded him and he smiled, too.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Sasuke asked her.

Sakura turned her head abruptly to face him. "W-what?"

"Breakfast. There's or-"

Before he could list food options, Sakura spun her legs around and leaned upward. Sasuke's eyes flashed in surprise, but he didn't have the chance to protest.

"I know what I want," she whispered, pressing both of her hands to his chest and gently pushing him down to the floor. "And it's not in your kitchen."

Sakura dropped to her knees on the floor before him. She bent down to kiss him, still buzzing with bliss, and though he matched her for passion and vigor, wrapping his good arm around her waist, she pulled back from him after only a moment.

"I want you," she murmured.

As both of her hands wandered to the waistline of his pants, it became clear what she meant. When she felt for him, he was still hard as iron.

"Aa."

Sakura took that for consent. She was as slow and deliberate as he'd been when she pulled his pants from the waistline to his knees.

It was one thing to feel his member hard against her, it was another to see and feel him between her hands. Sakura's heart raced all over again as she wrapped her fingers around his shaft and pulled up the length of him. Sasuke reached for her and though she loved his touch cupping her breast, she leveled her frame to his own. Still reeling from the way he'd taken her to climax, she trailed sweet, strong kisses from his chest, to his abdomen, to his waistline. Belatedly, Sasuke realized she didn't plan to use her hands.

Nervous from inexperience, but too pleased and too in love to be shy over it, Sakura took his hand from her waist and placed it at the base of her neck so he could guide her. One last time she felt the length of him, impressed at what remained beyond the height of her hand, and then she tongued his head before taking him into her mouth.

After a moment in her hot, wet mouth, he groaned a low, guttural sound that was meant to be her name.

Hearing him call to her with such primal instinct motivated her further. She brought him deeper into her throat and discovered the rhythm that made _him_ shudder and groan again.

Later, when he hardened even more and thrusted one last time, she had a vague memory of being with a host of girlfriends who protested what happened next. But when Sakura saw the ecstacy and exhaustion flood through him, she swallowed and knew she didn't mind. When he sighed at the end, she sucked the rest of the cum from his head and kissed him for it.

.

.

They lay together on the hard floor. At some point, Sasuke had reached to the sofa for a cushion and placed it underneath their heads, but Sakura was comfortable on his chest instead.

"I don't want to leave," Sakura murmured, surprised at herself for not wanting to be at the clinic if it meant leaving the moment.

Sasuke brushed the sheen of sweat from her neck. "We were told to sleep in."

"Oh, this was sleeping in?"

He smirked. With the same care and attention he gave to cleaning his weapons, Sasuke unwound each of her braids, then ran his fingers from her scalp through the loosened waves. Sakura used her thumb and forefinger to map the outline of his chest, determined to treasure every moment of the present. As he continued to toy with her hair, she remembered an old childhood thought.

"Is it true that you prefer long hair?"

Sasuke looked at her, wondering if this was somehow a trick question.

"When we were children, Ino and the other girls said you only liked long hair," Sakura explained. With a slight blush, she added, "It's the reason I grew it out when we were in the academy."

He shook his head, amused. "I don't remember having a preference."

"Do you now?"

Sasuke lifted the long strands and studied them for a moment. "Not necessarily."

It wasn't a fast no, though, and Sakura noticed it. She paused the mapping of his chest and looked to him to see if he'd offer more. Eventually, he did.

"Your hair was short when I left to find Orichamaru, and when I left Konoha after probation. Whenever I thought of you, or whenever I had dreams with you in them, your hair was always short."

It stole Sakura's breath to hear him admitting thinking of her, and dreaming of her, during both times he had been absent.

"Even now, when I go on missions, it's how I remember you," he finished.

Sasuke resumed running his fingers through her hair, and Sakura remembered to breathe. He hadn't said it was comforting to remember her in a manner that was familiar, but she'd heard the softness in his tone. Sakura waited to speak until she was sure her voice wouldn't waver.

"It's too heavy and gets too hot in the spring. I was planning on cutting it off again before summer."

"Either way," Sasuke said, tucking a loose strand behind her ear.

Not able to find the rights word or a complimentary response, Sakura lifted herself just enough to find him and kiss him again.

"It would be rude if I hosted you and didn't make you breakfast," Sasuke said.

She had a feeling these were values instilled by his parents even if he hadn't spent time with them as an adolescent or young man. From what she knew about his parents and his behaviors, they'd managed to instill what was proper when it came to caring for women.

"Alright," Sakura agreed, smiling. "If you insist."

"Aa."

When Sasuke cooked breakfast, Sakura freshened up and then made them coffee. He watched her comfort and familiarity in his kitchen, and thought to himself how naturally she fit in, seemed to belong there. She handed him a cup of black coffee, and because he knew what every twitch of her lips and curve of her brow meant, he could see she was working up the courage to ask him a question.

"What is it?" He prompted when she sweetened her coffee but avoided his gaze.

Sakura flushed. "Oh. Well, I know right now you and Tenzo must be busy after everything that happened, and I certainly have plenty to catch up on, but when you have time…"

She clutched her coffee and finally asked him. "What do you think about coming to see the clinic? I can give you a tour; introduce you to some of the children. Then you can see what your family's money has been funding."

He lifted a brow. "I trust your use of the funds, Sakura."

"I know, and I appreciate that," she assured him. "I just think you deserve to see, and know, what difference the Uchiha clan is making."

Sasuke thought about it while he finished preparing their meal and setting the portions onto two plates. For her sake more than his own, he agreed to it.

"Alright. Later this afternoon?"

Sakura lit up. "Yes. That's perfect."

.

.

It may have been called the Konoha Children's Mental Health Clinic, but it wasn't reserved only for children from the Leaf village. There were eighty-seven children, and while it was not a diplomatic convention, it was like every village and every land was represented. Sakura's assistant led him through a tour when she ran late from a nondescript emergency; the further into the tour, Sasuke came to wonder if emergencies were daily occurrences.

In his youth, Sasuke had harbored the pain of his clan's massacre until he became self-righteous from it. While time and travels had humbled him, he hadn't known the extent of children who suffered from what Sakura's assistant called adverse childhood experiences. There were children who had seen their father's kill their mother, sometimes then themselves. Little girls with skin so taut over their bones they looked like skeletons, but still they couldn't eat. Children who had been molested by family members and trusted ones. A few kids who wouldn't, or couldn't speak, and their suffering went unexplained. And even a few kids like him, who had lost both of their parents or even their entire families. It was explained to him how each of them had different sets of trauma symptoms that required different treatment plans, and he understood most of it from what he'd remembered Sakura discussing over the years.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" In a flurry of pink-hair and a swooshing white jacket, Sakura jogged to catch up to them. "I'm sorry I ran so late, I came as soon as I could."

He was already shaking his head though; an apology or explanation wasn't necessary.

She wrapped her hands over his forearm and smiled softly to thank him for his unspoken forgiveness, and then she turned to her assistant.

"Thank you, Sari, I can take it from here."

Sasuke nodded to Sari. "Thank you for the tour."

"Of course, Uchiha-san," the older woman bowed.

"We'll go to the common room next," Sakura said, still holding onto him as she led him down another hall. The bounce in her step seemed out of place in light of what he'd just seen and heard, yet it didn't surprise him. "There are a few of the older kids I want you to meet. They're usually playing games together before dinner."

Sasuke wordlessly followed her. The noise preceded the entrance to the common room; it didn't sound like a trauma unit, it sounded like a children's playground. Laughter, hollering, fighting, and squealing filled the hallway as they stepped closer. When they entered, it was as vibrant and colorful as it had been loud. Kids sat on the floor with games, pointing, plotting and jumping up in excitement. Another group of kids sat with crafts, paint, and charcoal ink, comparing and complementing one another's work. They all appeared to be twelve or thirteen.

"Hey, Dr. Sakura," one of the girls shouted upon noticing her entrance. "Who's your friend?"

Another girl next to her whispered, blushed, and giggled. "Is that your boyfriend?"

"This is Uchiha Sasuke, he's been a friend and teammate since I was a little girl," Sakura turned up to him and grinned, unaffected at their girlish antics. "Do you all mind if we hang out with you before dinner?"

There was a resounding chorus of acceptances and they entered the room. While Sakura led him through the room, chatting and introducing him to different children, he noticed one boy that had something familiar about him. Not in his looks, but his disposition. He sat alone in the far corner of the room, a book held in his hands while he faced the window, but moments passed and no pages were turned. The boy was pretending to read to be left alone.

Sakura noticed what caught Sasuke's attention. She dipped her head in the young boy's direction, directing Sasuke to follow her.

"Hey, Riku, may we interrupt?"

The boy didn't look up, but closed his book with a soft thump.

"This is my friend, Uchiha Sasuke."

Riku barely turned to look at the guest, offered half a nod, and then kept staring out the window. Before Sakura could say anything else to encourage conversation, another child called her over, begging her to review the artwork. Sakura slipped off, and Sasuke was left standing next to Riku, who pressed his lips together sourly and tried to hide behind his long curls of dust-brown hair.

Realizing the guest wouldn't be going anywhere, Riku huffed.

"Uchiha? Sounds familiar." The boy sounded as though he planned to veil his sarcasm and disinterest with false politeness, but Sasuke answered as if he hadn't noticed.

"My family used to be a well-known clan."

The boy turned his head. For the first time, he actually looked to Sasuke. "Used to?"

Sasuke nodded. For some reason, he found it easier to say aloud to a twelve-year old child what he couldn't to most adults. "They were killed when I was young."

"Oh." Riku kept his eyes on him, evaluating him. "Did you stay at a center like this one?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No, they didn't have places like this back then."

Riku huffed again. "Oh, you're lucky then. There's too many other kids here."

"There are," Sasuke agreed with his latter statement. "When I was a kid, I didn't know there were so many others."

Riku continued to stare at Sasuke. Even at his age, he understood what Sasuke meant. There were so many other kids with so many awful reasons to be there, with so much pain that came from those reasons.

"Yeah," Riku finally said, sounding older than his round cheeks and little frame suggested. "Dr. Sakura says there's more of us than we'd think, that we're not alone."

"Does that help?"

"Sometimes." Then, narrowing his eyes, he asked Sasuke, "Does it help you?"

Sasuke blinked. The last thing he'd anticipated was to have this kind of conversation with a boy that he'd rarely had with the ones closest to him. But despite the occasional snarky words and dismissive attitude, Sasuke could see there was eagerness in him, too.

"Yes," Sasuke finally said. "Sometimes."

Riku was quiet as he finished evaluating the older man. By the way the boy's shoulders relaxed, when his slight glare softened, Sasuke thought it might be in acceptance of him. It was quiet, the sort of quiet neither of them noticed nor minded, until Riku sighed.

"My parents and little sister were killed in a robbery. That's what the police said. But they still haven't caught him."

Sasuke made a mental note to figure out where this boy was from and which police force had failed to apprehend a suspect or make an arrest. He didn't think it was Konoha's, but he couldn't be sure.

"You don't have to say you're sorry," Riku added bitterly. "I don't need pity."

"Hn." Sasuke lifted a brow. "People pity you because they care, even if they don't understand."

"No one understands." Riku was angered, his fists wrapped so tight that his knuckles went white.

Sasuke looked out the window. He remembered that anger and that loneliness well enough. "I know."

Riku seemed surprised that Sasuke didn't try to reassure him. There were no cheap words, no promises of empathy. Instead, the guest just believed him.

Suddenly the toughness that had made Riku seem so much older dissolved, and he looked again like the child he should have been able to be.

"Do you ever stop missing them?" The boy asked him quietly.

Sasuke continued to gaze out the window. "You don't want me to say that you will."

Riku lifted a brow, surprised at the terse response, but then he thought about it. "No," he agreed. "If I didn't miss them, then… then they'd be gone."

While Riku knew it made no sense, his parents and little sister already were gone, somehow in the presence of Sasuke, he knew the older man would understand.

"You'll miss them more, not less," Sasuke told him. "The more you live without them, the more reasons you have to miss them."

Despite his young age, the boy understood. His face contorted with pain and frustration. Like curtains falling over a window, his mood darkened.

"Dr. Sakura says it's alright that I'm angry all the time; that it's a 'normal response to a not normal event', but I can't stand it."

Standing next to this boy, Sasuke wished he knew what Sakura did, had the skills and education she'd gained, on how to ensure another child wouldn't have to endure this sort of anger and pain. More than that, he wished he had the power to prevent it from coming into existence in the first place. He had neither.

"How do you stand it?" Riku asked him quietly, trying to sound as though he didn't care half as much for the answer than he did.

Sasuke paused, uncertain how honest he could be with a twelve-year old, unconvinced anything he had to say would matter. The boy would have to walk his own journey, discover his own truths, and develop his own resilience. There was no simple solution; more like a million and one attempts to make one, until one day, the loving of lost ones wasn't intertwined with the anger of losing them.

"Do you have any friends?" Sasuke asked, looking down to him.

Confused at the change of direction in the conversation, the boy shrugged, but turned behind them. Sasuke followed his gaze to two other children on the other side of the room, who he'd noticed earlier had been staring and whispering about them. It was a young girl with short, blonde hair and earnest brown eyes; it was apparent how much she cared for Riku. Then there was a red-headed boy with a wide grin and booming laugh; he seemed to gather attention in the room like inertia was drawn to him. Both of them waved enthusiastically when Riku faced them, but he flushed and turned back to the window.

"They're always trying to get me to hang out with them," the boy said. Then, realizing they had only come up because of his own question, he frowned. "You're saying it's them? They'll make it stop hurting so much?"

Sasuke was honest. "No, only you can do that. But they'll make it so you can endure it when it does hurt. And if you let them, they'll help you until you figure out how to make it stop."

The boy wasn't looking at Sasuke, but at his two friends. Both of them tried again; the girl waved shyly and the louder boy started to holler across the room if he was done talking to the old dude or not yet. Riku laughed at the red-haired boy's rudeness.

"Sorry, he's kind of obnoxious."

There were worse qualities to find in a friend. In fact, Sasuke had a feeling it might be for the better. When it seemed like Riku may want to go see his friends, with his fingers itching to put down the unread book, Sasuke dipped his head toward their direction.

"Go on."

Riku was slow to smile, but he did. "Will you be back, Uchiha-san?"

This was another thing Sasuke had not planned on agreeing to, but he found himself nodding.

"Alright. See you next time!"

Riku hopped up, a child again, and went to meet his two friends. When Sasuke turned, placing his hand back into his pocket, he saw Sakura look up from a child's artwork to watch Riku race across the room. Not wanting to make a fuss over it, she quickly glanced at Sasuke, the gratitude clear in her emerald eyes, and then she returned to comment on the artwork. Sasuke watched Riku and his friends from across the room and felt a foreign sensation. Not as empty as hope, not as full as confidence, but more like faith. Faith that this child Riku, and the others, would be alright. With each other, with the trauma intervention therapy he'd learned about on the tour and from Sakura's enthusiastic rambles, maybe even more than alright.

.

.

They were back in his home. Sakura had one more pair of clothes in what she'd packed, and both of them had used it as an excuse for her to stay another night. Fresh out of the shower, sipping on tea as they cooked together, Sakura finally asked him what he thought about the tour.

He didn't have the words. Everything he'd seen and learned, and who he had met – all of it occupied his mind since he'd left the clinic, but still, he didn't know what to say about it.

"Half the children aren't from here?" It was the best he could come up with in the moment.

"No," Sakura confirmed. "But we're the only center; we're the only ones doing this, so the other villages ask us to take in the children who they can't figure out how to help."

Sasuke stirred the vegetables, barely noticing them. "How often is that?"

"Fairly often," Sakura sighed. "We've had a waitlist every week since we've opened."

Sasuke looked at her. "A waitlist?"

She nodded. "Our maximum capacity is eighty children. We, uh, sometimes break a few rules to take on a few more."

Today it was seven more, he noted. It was unlike Sakura to lie or cheat, but he didn't fault her when he thought of her submitting altered documents and reports.

"How many are on the waitlist?"

"At least ten at any given time. Sometimes up to fifteen, and one time, we had twenty-two." Sakura shook her head, clearly unhappy about it, but more used to the reality than himself. "I've been talking to Temari about them opening another center in Sand, and I know she's brought it back to Gaara, but the funds are even more limited in Suna than they are here, and some of the elders are a bit old-school on what they'll loosen the purse strings on."

It was quiet while they finished preparing more of the meal. Several moments went by before Sasuke asked her another question.

"If they had the funds, would Gaara do it?"

"Oh, I'm sure," Sakura answered thoughtlessly, leaning over the pot to evaluate if the rice was done. "You know Gaara; he's more empathetic than most when it comes to adverse childhood experiences. He believes in the work, but he has no room to spare in the budget."

What he asked and why he asked it belatedly caught Sakura's attention. She paused with the rice, and looked over to him. "W-why?"

"If I give you the funds, would you help them open it?"

Sakura dropped the spoon. It clattered onto the floor, but she didn't move for it. "W-well, yes I would. It'd take time to train their teams, prepare the programs, b-but my team wants to do it. We want to help them replicate our programming."

Sasuke turned off the burners. "Then do it. Talk to Temari when she gets back."

Even as Sasuke prepared their plates and set the mat as if it were an absolutely ordinary conversation going on at the same time, Sakura stood there in shock and stared at him.

"Y-you're sure, Sasuke-kun?" She finally stuttered out.

"Aa." He looked at her emptied tea. "Tea or wine?"

Sakura shook her head, attempting to shake her thoughts and words out, too. "You know how much it cost Konoha. It'd be as much, maybe even more; they have less infrastructure and room than we did."

He took out the red wine he'd brought back from the last time he'd visited Iwagakure. It had been a gift from the Tsuchikage after he helped with a particularly difficult mission the kage had wanted kept private. Sasuke poured two glasses.

"There are enough funds," Sasuke said. "I'm sure my parents, my aunts and uncles, would prefer it be used, instead of collecting dust."

He handed her a glass of wine, and with trembling hands, she took it from him.

"I don't know what to say," Sakura whispered.

Sasuke was dismissive of her gratitude. It was rational and feasible, and that's all there was to it. They took their seats, but Sakura's mind was so busied with plans, action steps, and possibilities, she ate without tasting any of her food.

Halfway through their meal, Sakura became exasperated. "Will you at least let us name this clinic after your family? I want to be able to do something, anything, to honor them."

"The work honors them." Then Sasuke challenged, "Would you want it named after you?"

"No. Absolutely not," Sakura said, offended to even be asked. "That's far too grandiose. It would be disrespectful to my team who works so hard, and it would distract attention from the community, from the children who it's for. It's about them, not me."

Sasuke almost shrugged. "Then you don't want it named after the Uchiha, in case one day it's your name, too."

Sakura's hand jerked and her next bite of salmon went flying from the chopsticks. Surprise from his abrupt words left her blinking repeatedly as she wondered if she misheard him. When she looked at him, his demeanor calm but visage brightened with an amused smirk, she realized she hadn't misheard at all. Sakura tried, and failed, to be nonchalant as she rescued the sliver of salmon.

_Oh, Kami, _Sakura thought to herself. _It can't be possible for me to love him anymore, can it? _

It turned out, it could.

.

.


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N:**_ You are all so wonderful, thank you so very much for honest feedback and encouraging words! I suppose there's only a few chapters left. Intimacy and vulnerability are cultivated, not a given, and I hope I continue to capture at least some of that.

Hope everyone is healthy and safe!

\- H.

* * *

**Something Left**

Chapter Eleven

* * *

The envelope was made from thick ivory paper and the note inside of it was written on weighted paper, too. Yet Sakura held it at the end of her fingertips as if it were fragile. Seated at her kitchen counter, she read the neat, inked words over and over again, pensive and impatient while she waited for her inner turmoil to sort itself out.

Knocking on the front door startled her from her reverie. Since Sasuke had hosted and cooked every night since their return to Konoha, she had offered to host this evening. Quickly, she glanced at the clock. Instead of using the time after her shower to prepare the meal like planned, her groceries sat unpacked on the counter and almost a half hour had passed.

"Come in," Sakura called.

She hurriedly put the note back into the envelope, resealed it, flipped it over face down, and stuck it underneath a nearby medical textbook. Hearing Sasuke approach from the hall, she reached for a notebook and pen, and then pretended to jot down important thoughts.

Sasuke was unbothered at her lack of welcome. He came to stand behind her, wrapped his one arm around her waist, and leaned over her shoulder. The pen slipped from her fingers when he rested his chin into the crook of her neck.

"Hey," she said softly, turning so their cheeks touched.

He looked at her, and though she'd swear her smile was genuine and warm, he seemed to be searching for something. Sakura shifted in her seat and found his lips, distracting him with a more enthusiastic greeting, and he wrapped his fingers around her hip, distracted.

One thing Sakura had learned in their last week together that surprised her the most, but perhaps shouldn't have: what Sasuke lacked in sharing with words, he more than made up for with physical affection. It was difficult for either of them to spend more than a few moments without touching in one manner or another, even if it was only a light graze while busy with another task or sitting close enough for legs to press against each other.

Feeling guilty for postponing dinner preparations, Sakura withdrew from their kiss first.

"What do you want for dinner?" She asked, turning back to the groceries. "I haven't been home in awhile, so I went and got everything and anything I could think of."

Sasuke kept his hold across her abdomen and his chin rested on her shoulder. "Do you want me to cook?"

It didn't sound like when Naruto or Sai attempted to get out of her meals, but Sakura still bristled. "Do you want me _not _to cook?"

His amused breath tickled her neck. "No, but you're still working."

Sakura felt another flicker of guilt. She pushed the notebook away from her. "No, I'm done. What are you in the mood for?"

Before she could list their options, an aggressive pounding on the door followed by feminine shrieks interrupted her. Sasuke released her and both of them looked to the door, surprised at the passionate pleas, the voice and chakra signature identifying the source as Ino.

The most recent threat against Suna from the Anti-Alliance Movement had been thwarted, in part thanks to the capture of Kousuke and other missing-nin who Ino herself had helped to interrogate, but could something else be wrong?

"I'm not expecting her," Sakura explained, brows furrowed in concern. She hurriedly went toward the door, calling out to her friend. "Coming, Ino."

When Sakura opened the door, the taller kunoichi burst through it. "Forehead!"

"What is it?" Sakura asked worriedly, checking but finding no blood or wounds on her friend.

Instead, she was met by the view of Ino passionately shaking her hand and a large, dazzling princess-cut diamond set on a white gold band.

"_Oh_," Sakura gasped in admiration.

"Sai proposed," Ino exclaimed, hand still shaking even as Sakura reached for it. "We're getting married!"

Sakura held Ino's hand, and when the latter squealed in excitement, so did Sakura. "Oh, Ino, congratulations."

Sakura wrapped her friend in a tight embrace. "I can't believe it. I mean, I can, but I worried he'd keep over-thinking it and never ask."

"You know him, he does over-think it all, but he – wait, you knew?" Ino pulled back from her friend.

"Sort of," Sakura smiled. "We knew he planned to ask you soon."

At the mention of 'we', Ino looked over to see Sasuke standing in the hall. For a brief moment, the surprise overshadowed her enthusiasm. "Oh! I'm sorry, am I interrupting?"

Sakura looked to Sasuke too, but before she could figure out what to say, Sasuke shook his head. "You're not. Congratulations, Ino."

Ino's surprise to see him faded; she was too excited and enthralled with her own recent romantic development. "Thank you, Sasuke. What do you mean, you knew? Tell me everything!"

Sakura laughed, and when her eyes lingered on Sasuke, he turned to exit back down the hall. "I'll take care of dinner."

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She meant it, her appreciation glowing in her excited jade eyes, and then she turned back to Ino.

"No, you tell me everything first," Sakura proclaimed. "How did he propose?"

The two of them sat together on the couch, sitting so close Sakura could continue to hold Ino's hand and admire the ring, while Ino sighed dreamily.

"Oh, Sakura, it was perfect," she insisted. "He was perfect."

Though it took forty-five minutes to share what Sai would have explained in less than five, Sakura listened attentively to every word. Over the years, from the first moment Sai was interested in being with Ino and then throughout their relationship, he'd sketched or painted countless portraits of her. While she knew he liked to paint her, and that he drew her from memory on his longer missions away when he missed her, she had no idea the extent of it. It turned out he'd kept all of his artwork of her over the years. After taking her out to eat at her favorite dining establishment, he'd brought her home and showed her the collection. She was so shocked while looking at the display, she hadn't noticed when he went down on one knee until she turned and almost tripped over him. Even then she was confused, until she saw the ring in his hand and heard his declaration of the all the things he loved most about her, paired with one of his rare, certain smiles.

Sakura grinned when Ino told her how she'd sobbed when saying yes, and then jokingly hushed her when the details of what happened next became explicit. The two of them laughed, and Sakura congratulated her again.

"What about _that_?" Ino whispered loudly, mischievous as she jerked her chin toward the kitchen.

Certain it was possible Sasuke could hear every word even if they whispered, Sakura laughed quietly. "We're uh, we're dating."

Ino's eyes widened. "Officially?"

Sakura nodded.

"Since when?"

Sakura couldn't help but laugh again, too happy at Ino's news, and her own news, too. "About a week ago, I guess."

Ino grinned triumphantly. "So, Sai and I won the bet."

Sakura had forgotten about that. A few months ago, Naruto thought he had won the bet when he'd stumbled onto them the morning after their first kiss. She remembered him saying Sai predicted it would be a few more months longer, which apparently, had been true. Sakura shook her head in disapproval.

"Of course you were involved in that too, Ino-Pig."

"Sorry, Forehead," Ino said, not apologetic at all. "Sai knows you both too well, and I think it's safe to say I'm more educated on romantic entanglements than Naruto and Kaka-sama."

Sakura couldn't be upset about it though and shook it off. "Well, come on, have you talked about when you'll have the wedding?"

This opened another chapter book of initial thoughts and half-formed plans. Ino wasn't halfway through describing ideal venues and gown designs when Sasuke came back out. He expertly balanced a tray with three bowls of food, chopsticks, napkins, and three glasses of sake. Both Sakura and Ino looked up in surprise, then gratitude.

Sasuke sat on the floor next to Sakura's legs while the three of them ate and listened to Ino's enthusiastic ramblings. Sakura interrupted with frequent questions, often to clarify color, textures, and names for guest lists, and Sasuke ate his meal without hearing the half of it.

"You know he'll ask you to be a groomsman," Ino said, pointing her chopsticks to Sasuke. "You'll say yes, won't you, Sasuke?"

He paused after his next bite. There was no such thing as telling a determined Ino no about anything, Sasuke had come to understand over the years, and assuredly her wedding was no exception.

"Only if he asks without showing me any artwork he's painted of me," Sasuke answered dryly.

Ino's jaw slackened at the Uchiha making a joke, and Sakura burst into a fit of laughter. Half a moment later, Ino's surprise was replaced with laughter, as well.

"No promises," Ino teased in warning, smiling into her next bite of food. "Artwork is his preferred mode of communication, after all."

"Hn."

"And you, Sakura," Ino started, becoming serious. "I wanted to wait to ask you, I've had a million clever ideas of how I'd ask you, but... Oh, but I can't wait. Will you be my Maid of Honor?"

Sakura reached for Ino's hand again, this time to hold it affectionately. "Of course, Ino."

There was more laughter, hugging, and crying, until Ino finished eating and excused herself, excited to reconnect with Sai after his meeting with Kaka-sama so they could go find more friends to share the news to.

"Thank you for dinner, Sasuke," Ino said happily, embracing Sakura one last time.

Her words were said with more warmth than he'd heard in her tone toward him since they were all children. He assumed it had less to do with her engagement, and more to do with finding out about him and Sakura dating. He accepted her thanks with a nod.

After she left, Sakura's home became quiet and calm again. The excitement had left a permanent smile on Sakura's lips, and she turned back to Sasuke with an apologetic sigh.

"Thank you for dinner, and for staying," she told him, glad he hadn't left.

He shrugged, unbothered. Together they picked up the empty dishes and glasses and went back to the kitchen. Upon entering the room, Sakura's glance unwillingly turned to the inch of the envelope that remained in view under the medical textbook, but she just as soon focused on the sink instead.

"You cooked, let me do the dishes," Sakura said pointedly, grabbing what remained in his hand.

Sasuke took the seat she had earlier. When her attention was focused on the sink, he looked down at the ivory paper beneath one of her books. Twice he'd seen her almost flinch at the sight of it, even as she tried to busily avoid its direction. First, when he'd arrived at her home and she'd said she was finished with work, pushing the notebook out of reach while glancing at it with a flash of a frown. Then, when they entered the kitchen and she seemed to be reminded it was there, her grip on the dishes tightening when she looked away from it.

"How was your day, Sasuke-kun?" She asked while looking at the dishes, but he still removed his eyes from studying the paper she apparently didn't want him to see.

"I told Tenzo I planned to leave in six weeks. I'll turn in my formal resignation tomorrow."

"Really?" Sakura wasn't unhappy, but surprised at his promptness. "What'd he say? Does he understand?"

"Aa." Sasuke brushed a hand through his hair. It was longer than he'd ever grown it before. "We planned how to transition me out."

"I'm sure Naruto will be excited to hear it," she said, placing finished dishes on the drying rack.

Sasuke looked once more at the hidden paper. "How was your day?"

Perhaps he wouldn't have noticed her hesitation under other circumstances, but he noticed it now. "I'm so happy for Ino and Sai. I could've had the worst day, and it wouldn't matter anymore."

She sounded honest, but still, Sasuke asked her, "Did you have the worst day?"

"No. Today was busy, there's so much to do before we meet with Gaara, but it wasn't a bad day."

Though nothing was set in stone yet for the new clinic, Kakashi had given them his initial stamp of approval and directed Shikamaru to start the plans for an official meeting with the Kazekage and his advisers.

After Sakura finished all of the dishes, she turned back to him, as honest of a smile as her words earlier. There was a hint of tiredness in her, but nothing more.

"More sake?" She asked, but already she reached for the bottle he'd opened earlier.

"If you drink more," he asked, pushing his o-choko toward her, "then will you tell me what's bothering you about that letter?"

Even though he didn't look toward it, Sakura instinctively did. With both hands on the sake bottle, she gripped it tight and frowned.

Impressed more than she was bothered by the intrusion, she sighed. "How did you know?"

It had been as simple to read her as the alphabet when they were genin, but that had changed drastically over the years. Though there were times he hadn't a clue what was on her mind, she still tended to wear her heart on her sleeve. She was too sincere of a person to hide her secrets from anyone, least of all herself.

"You were trying to avoid looking at it."

"Yeah," Sakura said, as if he hit the nail on the head. "I guess avoiding it is exactly what I'm trying to do."

She offered him his sake, and he took it, but waited patiently for her to explain. Sakura swallowed her sake as if it were a shot, and then placed it down with her lips pressed tight in determination.

"Read it," she said, as if she didn't care at all if he did.

Sasuke tried to discern if she was truly comfortable with sharing the letter's contents with him. Sensing this was the reason for his hesitation, Sakura lifted the textbook and pulled the envelope out so she could hand it to him herself.

As soon as Sasuke took it from her, he recognized it. The thick ivory envelope, Kakashi's formal handwriting, and the Hokage's seal split from when she had opened it. It was the same letter he and Naruto had received two years prior. Though he knew what to anticipate, he opened it and read it.

_Haruno Sakura, _

_You have been nominated by Nara Shikamaru and Hatake Kakashi to be examined as a shinobi for progression in rank. Please consider the upcoming Jonin Exam on 15 August 2020 as an opportunity to prove your qualifications. _

_Sincerely,_

_Elders of Konohagakure _

_Hokage Hatake Kakashi_

Sasuke held the note with as much care as she had earlier. Though he felt certain she was upset about it, he couldn't understand why.

"I shouldn't have told him I can fight with chakra scalpels, or that I've finally been training on advanced genjutsu."

Sakura was surprisingly serious as she poured more sake, but looking at Sasuke's untouched drink, she capped the bottle and put it away.

"Why?"

"He wouldn't have nominated me."

"Other than being awarded the rank, this is the highest form of accomplishment a shinobi can attain."

"I know that."

She picked up the o-choko, but her chakra control slipped. The little glass cup shattered in her grasp and sliced into her hand, the sake spilling across the counter.

"Shit," Sakura gasped, reaching for her notes and books. Sasuke pulled the rest of her papers away from the spilled sake while Sakura reached for a kitchen towel with her uninjured hand. After cleaning up the sake, Sakura clenched the wet rag, and then tossed it to the sink with a sigh.

Sasuke wordlessly approached her as he reached for her injured hand. She cupped her hands together while he gently pulled the shard of glass from her palm. As soon as it was out, Sakura's healing chakra activated with ease, and he watched the wound disappear. He continued to hold her hand, standing before her, and waited to see if she'd explain. She didn't.

Sakura pulled away from him and cleaned up the rest of the glass pieces. "This was a gift from my grandmother. I'm pretty sure the set has been handed down to every Haruno as a wedding gift for generations. When I didn't marry by twenty-two, she sent it to me. The note said, 'Your father says the clinic is your soulmate now. Congratulations. Love, obaasan.'"

She smiled wryly as she trashed the pieces. "Oh, well. It's a set of three now."

Sakura washed the blood off her hands and then was no longer able to avoid the subject with small tasks. When she could tell Sasuke was questioning her, she clasped her hands.

"You know, there are plenty of respectable shinobi who remain Chunin for their entire lives. I have responsibilities at the clinic, we're talking about opening another one, I'm more than happy and committed to focus on medical ninjutsu. Why should I care about being sent on A-rank or S-rank missions?"

As if the only purpose of Jonin rank was the opportunity for higher level missions, she waved it off dismissively.

"You don't want to be promoted?" He asked, skeptical.

"No," Sakura confirmed. "You know, I used to be obsessed with becoming stronger, but it was only because I was ashamed. It was only because I wanted to prove myself to you and Naruto. I don't need to do that anymore."

He agreed with the last part. "No, you don't."

She shrugged, leaned against the kitchen counter, but she hardly seemed relaxed. "So, what's the point? I'll focus on medical ninjutsu and the clinics."

"If there's no point," Sasuke said, taking hold of her recently healed hand and lifting it up in question. "Then why are you breaking family heirlooms?"

He flipped her hand to evaluate her perfect palm. Her medical ninjutsu always fascinated him. Sakura was unsettled at his words, but she didn't deflect them. After another moment, she wrapped her fingers around his explorative ones, and sighed.

"I won't pass, Sasuke," she said, not humble, but honest. "If I test in August, I'll fail."

Her words surprised him. "Why do you think that?"

"I _know _that," she corrected him. "Jonin shinobi qualifications include mastery of two elemental chakra natures. It took me years to master water, and I'm nowhere near mastering another one."

Sasuke guessed her earlier comment about chakra scalpels and genjutsu was because she assumed Kakashi planned to substitute mastery of two elemental chakra natures for her other skills.

"That's not a written rule," he said. "It's just one of the better-known considerations."

"Exactly," Sakura said thinly. "So, I can manage a clinic, and I make sure traumatized children are safe, and I can stand for fifteen hours straight in an operating room to perform impossible surgeries. Those are great skills, I'm proud of what I can do, but they aren't Jonin qualifications."

Sasuke wasn't the best at tact. "You'd rather not test, not even try?"

Sakura frowned at his blunt words but wasn't offended by them. She went to answer, but felt the syllables stick in her throat.

Sasuke attempted to be gentler, not for the first time thinking if Sai could figure this sort of thing out, he sure as hell better be able to. "What's so frightening about failing it's not worth trying?"

She shook her head as if she didn't know, but she did. When Sasuke made no sign to let the subject go, patient as he leaned against the counter beside her, she was forced to think through the answer for herself. After several moments of silence, she answered aloud.

"I can hear them." She said it reluctantly, as if making a confession. "I can hear my mother saying she's surprised I didn't pass, even though she isn't, even though a few minutes later she'd tell me she told me so. And I can hear my dad, oblivious, explaining to me for the millionth time that women shouldn't be shinobi, and why didn't I listen to him the first time. Even if I decided not to tell them, I'd still hear them."

Sakura brushed back loose strands of hair that had dried in messy waves. "Now, at least, I'm good at what I'm doing, and there's nothing they can hold against me anymore."

But testing to become Jonin and failing meant there was a chance they were right. Sasuke may have had limited time with his parents, but it was enough time to remember what it felt like to fear their disapproval and disappointment. At the time, it felt like he was always in Itachi's shadow, the lesser of two sons.

"It's your choice," Sasuke said. "But they wouldn't have nominated you because of anything you said, or anything they thought you could do."

Sakura stared at him, uncertain where he was going with it, and he finished the thought. "They only nominated you because they've already seen you prove the qualifications."

She blinked, felt as if her lids were heavy. Thinking of it that way made sense logically, but insecurity gnawed at her regardless. It had been a long time since she found herself wondering these sorts of inescapable thoughts. _Am I good enough? What if I can't do it? _

Remaining within the comfort zone she painstakingly achieved felt far more preferable than willingly stepping out from it.

"Will your parents disapprove of me?" He asked her, assuming the answer was a certain yes even if she wouldn't admit as much.

This drew her out of the stupor at once. "Maybe, but I don't care at all what they have to say about it, so you shouldn't worry, either. It's really none of their business, especially when there's so much they don't know or understand."

Always so stubborn and hot-headed when it came to the people she cared for most.

As if he made his point - rather, as if she'd made her own point - he lifted a brow. Sakura realized he asked her on purpose, bringing out her more vehement side with ease, and she reflected on the words she'd just said aloud.

"Hmm," Sakura hummed. Her parents didn't understand her, her ninjutsu, or her aspirations, either. So, how could it matter what they said or thought about it?

Thinking of it in these terms did make her feel encouraged to at least consider it. She turned to him, pressing one hand to the counter to left herself up to kiss him.

"Thank you," she murmured on the corner of his lips. When she shifted back, her eyes were wide and bright, more like herself. His hand drifted to lie atop hers on the counter.

"Enough about me," she declared. "Tell me about the transition plan?"

As Sasuke detailed to her what he and Tenzo had discussed, she traced her fingertips across his palm, while he wrapped his fingers around her inner wrist, each of them thoughtless as they altered who touched who. With a few competent options for a replacement in mind, Tenzo and Sasuke had set a training plan for him to be able to select and train his own successor.

"So," Sakura propositioned at his conclusion, "you'll at least be here for the next six weeks?"

"Aa."

She walked her fingertips up the inside of his forearm. "Think you can spare a few hours a week to train with me?"

Sasuke withheld his sense of surprise. "In what?"

"Where to start? Genjutsu, like we talked about before," Sakura said, and when this time his surprise did show itself, she grinned. "I can't date the world's greatest genjutsu-user, famous everywhere for his visual prowess, and _not _train with him. What kind of foolish shinobi would that make me?"

Appreciating her newfound humor on the subject, he agreed. "Alright. What else?"

She pressed her lips together. "Well, my other elemental chakra predispositions lean toward earth and fire. I'm horribly mediocre with both of them. I'd ask Tenzo to train with me on earth, I think earth may suit me better, but it sounds like he's about to become far busier than usual."

"Fire jutsu," Sasuke said what she didn't.

It was no secret that fire jutsu was his family's famed specialty, and Sakura watched him carefully as she nodded.

"When?" Sasuke asked.

She smiled at his lack of hesitation. "Tomorrow night?"

"Alright," he said, flipping her hand to run his thumb over the pulse on her wrist.

It was becoming something of an unspoken agreement; each night, one of them would come up with a reason to spend time together the following day, as if an excuse was needed.

"Are you asking me to train with you because you'll take the exam," Sasuke asked her carefully, "or because you want more time with me?"

But she wasn't unnerved at his question; instead, she hummed thoughtfully, releasing their hands as she stepped before him, a touch of playfulness in her smile.

"I think," she started, wrapping her arms around his neck and looking up to him, "it's both."

"Hn." Sasuke wound his arm around her waist and brought her into his chest, closing the last of the narrow gap she had left between them.

This was another sort of unspoken agreement. Though they started their nights with dinner and discussing each other's days, it inevitably led to this. She wasn't sure which of them initiated, but they came together at the same time, the magnetic pull between them strengthened by familiarity. Every time Sasuke kissed her, it still felt like the first time; an eruption of nerves, thrills from anticipation coursing through her blood, and a startling, sweet sensation of loving every single second of his touch.

He was the patient one, each kiss more deliberate than the last, and though they stood, even though it was her kitchen, it felt like being transported to another plane. Blissful, Sakura wound her fingers through the loose hair at the base of his neck, holding him tight, and his hand slipped lower to a comfortable hold as he cupped her bottom cheek.

When she needed to breathe, she reluctantly leaned back.

"Did you agree to train with me because you want me to take the exam," she asked, faintly smug while watching him breathe, too. "Or because you want to spend more time with me?"

She was teasing, but Sasuke leaned down, kissed the hollow of her neck, serious. "Both."

Sakura held onto him tighter. Almost too quiet to hear, she asked, "You really think I'll qualify?"

He didn't pause. "Yes."

Then, the last of their unspoken agreements: to kiss, to touch, to explore and taste, but to stay behind the line of going too far, too soon.

It was dreadful.

It was wonderful.

.

.

Stealing a glance at the clock as she passed through the hall, Sakura noted it was half past five; an hour past her scheduled time to be there, but almost two hours earlier than she'd ordinarily leave for the night. She thought of the reports, chart audits, peer reviews, and unopened mail stacked on her desk and knew she needed to get back to her office. Yet, no matter how much she tried not to, thoughts of all-things-Sasuke crowded her mind.

Sakura turned a corner and approached the staircase; up a floor, to her office, or down a floor, to the exit. It was while she stood there, caught in a self-induced trance, guilt losing its battle with the far more persuasive power of temptation, that she heard the commotion.

The protests of nurses, crash of metal, tools clanging to the tile floor, an inhuman cry, the sort of anguish that made a man sound feral, and then, her name. Her name being bellowed, the syllables distorted by the pain-filled plea. Instantly, Sakura spun on her heels and raced toward Naruto.

"Sakura-chan! Where is she?" Then, another screech of metal and booming crash.

Down the hall and turning the corner in two and a half seconds flat, Sakura burst through the large swinging doors to find him. There was no time to wonder what was wrong with him, only the gut-churning instinct that told her whatever it was, she should be prepared for the worst.

Yet the sight in front of her still sucked the air from her chest. Naruto, red-faced and wild; but Hinata in his arms, pale and limp as a dead fish. Pale and limp as a dead woman.

When Naruto saw her, his guttural cry ripped its way from his throat. "_Sakura_."

She tried to breathe, couldn't, and moved toward him despite initially stumbling in her steps. Sakura had seen her closest friends on the brink of death before, but on missions, on the battlefield, during wartime. Not on an ordinary Tuesday night. Not when it was her best friend's pregnant wife.

As if he were furious, Naruto crossed the room with two steps, slamming into Sakura, his motionless wife immediately pressed between them.

"Please," he cried, forcing Hinata into her arms even as he would not let go.

This close, Sakura felt the body's warmth, the subtle but precious pulse from a heartbeat. Finally, Sakura snapped to attention. "What happened?"

Naruto's response was gargled, incomprehensible, and Sakura pulled Hinata from his stubborn grip, a lethal glare piercing through his panic.

"Naruto! Tell me what happened."

Already, Sakura found and moved Hinata to a nearby gurney, gestured for two nearby nurses to take over transport, and whispered harshly the instructions for someone to get Maru, the fetal specialist.

"S-she had a seizure, or something, I don't know, I don't know," Naruto responded, watery eyes widened from shock as he looked to Hinata. "She was fine one moment, and then it started, and she fell, and I - I didn't catch her, and she was on the floor, and - and … and …"

He couldn't finish.

While the two nurses pulled the gurney, lobby doors flung open as they pulled Hinata through, Sakura already started to work, her expert steps moving backward as they raced to an OR. Her healing chakra was pressed to Hinata's forehead and heart, but she couldn't check the baby. Not in front of Naruto. Not if she couldn't control her own expression.

Naruto tried to follow them, his feet moving too fast for his body, and he reached for Hinata's hand.

"No, Naruto," she said, as sharp as any katana. "I need to focus on her. _She _needs me to focus on her. You need to stay out there."

He opened his mouth, a rumble of protest spilling out, but she shot him a glare more severe than one the sharingan could deliver. As if broken, Naruto's shoulders slumped and he reluctantly listened; but his ocean-blue eyes were still wide and frantic as he studied Sakura's probing hands. Her hands that didn't probe near Hinata's stomach, her womb, their child - _his child. _

The doors swung to a close, and he watched through the slim glass windows. Naruto wasn't the fool he used to be. He noticed, he stared at Hinata flat and still on her back, her very-visible bump of their child inside of her, and a new, different scream started from the depth of his chest, the core of his soul.

"Send Gamakichi to get Sasuke," she shouted, and then her nurses turned them down the hall, out of sight and into the nearest open OR.

"What the fuck can he do for her!" Naruto slammed another cart into a wall, the few remaining nurses scrambled away from him, and Sakura didn't have time or the attention span to tell him - it wasn't for Hinata, it was for him.

Her entire mind, her entire being, focused on the two lives depending on her.

.

Despair on the battlefield and destitution in the hospital were no strange sights to Sasuke, but when he arrived on the first floor of Konoha's Emergency Room, it felt unfamiliar. An eerie, uncharacteristic quietness for a place that was usually buzzing from chaos, nervous glances of stiff-shouldered staff, and a male nurse who immediately greeted him, wordless and swift as he led Sasuke to the stairs.

"He's on the second floor, your first left." The nurse's instructions came from grimaced lips, but Sasuke didn't acknowledge him. In a flash, he crossed the steps and made the first instructed turn.

There was no more medical staff at their usual stations in what looked like a room demolished by a tornado. Carts, chairs, and even a desk had been upturned, with papers, supplies, and medical tools splayed haphazardly across the floor. One of the walls was decimated; in its place, a heap of chunked plaster, fractured wood and scorched insulation. In the center of it all, Naruto paced back and forth, a whirlwind of the traditional rasengan forming thoughtlessly in one hand before it spun itself out of form.

"Naruto," Sasuke said evenly, evaluating the damage of the room.

When Naruto didn't answer, didn't turn, Sasuke's scowl deepened into a frown.

"Naruto," he said, this time louder.

The rasengan came to life again in Naruto's real-hand; Sasuke watched as its form shook and spun tempestuously, but still Naruto hurled it into the nearby wall. Yet it dissipated before contact, and only Naruto's bare fist hit the wall and ran through it. Without the power of the jutsu to brace the impact, Sasuke knew for a fact every bone in his hand would be shattered.

Sasuke flash-stepped to Naruto's side and angrily jerked him back, the limp hand loosening as he removed it from the hole in the wall.

"Damn it, Naruto," Sasuke growled, eyes on the bloodied, broken hand.

Finally, the dobe acknowledged him. Like a fog clouded him and his eyes, Naruto looked up and blinked, but didn't make a single sound, didn't say anything at all. It sent a chill down Sasuke's spine; he halted the harsher words he planned to say, and instead just looked to his best friend.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked, his hand lingering on Naruto's taut shoulder.

Naruto shook his head, as if he hadn't heard the words and planned to ignore the question regardless, but Sasuke shook him, held him tighter. "What happened to Hinata?"

All Gamakichi had said was that Hinata was hurt in the hospital and Sakura requested him. Sasuke thought it was an accidental but minor injury, or premature panic about the baby's arrival. Now, Sasuke realized it was far worse.

Like he needed to swallow glass first, Naruto cleared his throat. "S-she was fine, reading in the bedroom, we were talking, I - I was interrupting her, trying to tell her about s-something Konohamaru showed me, and then she just… she just .."

Sasuke didn't blink, and Naruto's shoulders tightened, as if his skeletal frame tried to hold itself together despite an inner storm that sought to break through the surface.

"She was fine, she just looked c-confused, like she d-didn't understand what I was saying, so I - I started telling her more, but she - she looked far away-like she was lost. S-she's always so patient with me, but I thought .. I thought she was ignoring me, thinking about her book…"

Here, Naruto choked on his words. As if he'd committed a crime and couldn't find the resolution to confess it.

"I didn't notice," Naruto said, a hoarse whisper. "I d-didn't notice, she started to s-shake, she was shaking, all - _all _of her was shaking, but I had turned around."

Sasuke squeezed his shoulder so hard it had to hurt, but neither of them noticed.

"S-she fell, and I h-heard her fall from the bed, and I turned, but - but I wasn't fast enough," Naruto's chest heaved, the pain of the recent memory burning worse at the irony, that the son of the Yellow Flash wasn't fast enough.

Angrily, "I wasn't fast enough to catch her."

Now, the hot, flood of tears released. Naruto's sobs filled the destroyed, emptied room with startling clarity; his anguish was so desperate, it felt like it burned a hole through Sasuke's gut.

Under Sasuke's grasp, Naruto's shoulders shook violently, the full severity of fear and despair unleashed now that he'd said the words aloud.

"Was she… breathing when you brought her here? Is she with Sakura?" Sasuke asked, trying to gather the facts, trying to ascertain how dire the situation might be.

When Naruto's head bobbed up and down one time, Sasuke took a breath; Hinata hadn't been dead yet, and now she was in Sakura's capable hands. There was no one else, no other medical nin or healer in any of the five hidden villages, who could care for her like Sakura could.

"She will be alright, Naruto," Sasuke said, a clumsy promise, but an honest one.

But Naruto's shoulders rocked harder. When he pulled himself up to look at Sasuke, his eyes were widened with raw, unfiltered fear.

"W-what if the baby do-doesn't -"

_What if the baby doesn't make it? _Naruto's unbridled pain shocked Sasuke's system like lightning drawn to a rod. His own eyes widened as his next breath was stolen from him.

"Listen to me," Sasuke said, his own voice unrecognizable to him. "Sakura can save both of them."

Naruto was desperate to believe him, and Sasuke was desperate to ensure he should believe him. Though neither had doubts about Sakura's skill, both of them were keenly aware of the cards the Universe had dealt to their families so far. Death had been promised far more often than Life.

Thinking of Sakura, of the time he had been half-dead and walking through Hell's dark gates when she'd pulled him back, brought him back to life, he stared into Naruto's frightened gaze.

"Sakura _will_ save them, Naruto."

Naruto's shoulders heaved again with one final defeat of despair and he slumped into Sasuke's hold. As he sobbed through the fear and the pain, Sasuke gripped the shirt on Naruto's back. He stared into the wall, the often dormant Rinnegan abruptly whirling to life. If Sakura failed, he had something that wouldn't.

.

.

"Naruto-san?" It was a shy nurse who came through the lobby's doors, and in an instant, Naruto shot up from his half-seated position against the wall.

"W-what is it?" He demanded.

It had been a half hour since Sasuke arrived and calmed him down, but every moment in that span of time felt like an eternity of torment.

"Hinata-chan and the baby are fine," the nurse assured him.

Naruto slackened. "What?"

The nurse smiled, unbothered at the chaos and destruction around her, as she patiently approached Naruto. "They are both alright. Dr. Haruno is still with Hinata-chan, but she said you can come back, if you're calm enough."

Sasuke didn't realize he had been holding his own breath until he heard himself exhale. Naruto, ever fluid in his sincere range in emotions, was instantaneously alive, loud and excited.

"Of course I'm calm," he hollered. "Let's go!"

"Hinata-chan needs to rest, so if you are quiet and calm, that would be best," the nurse said gently, a touch of nervousness as she added, "Dr. Haruno asked me to tell you that."

"Right," Naruto said, forcibly focusing to quiet himself. "Right, I'm calm. I'll be quiet."

The nurse smiled again, opened the lobby door further, and Naruto shot through it. As the door swung to a close, Naruto glanced back for half a second, but Sasuke tucked his hand into his pocket, and both of them knew, neither of them needed the other to say anything then.

.

.

In the next hour, the desolate lobby Sasuke had found Naruto in was filled with its staff once again. As a few nurses and orderlies came to clean up the disarray, Sasuke helped them. Though he felt a sort of responsibility over the destruction on behalf of his friend, none of the staff seemed upset or annoyed at the mess. There was too much reverence and empathy for Naruto.

More time passed with no sign of Sakura. When one of the nurses came through the large, swinging doors that Naruto had been taken through, he stared, accidentally channeling his questions into the single staff member. When the nurse looked up, she was at first frazzled to be the subject of scrutiny, but then she recognized him as Sakura's other teammate.

"Uh, Uchiha-san?"

The nurse approached him with the tepidness Sasuke had become accustomed to, though often he found himself wondering the source of it; the legacy of his family's massacre, his time as a traitor and international criminal, the battle between him and their beloved future Hokage, or his overall dark and distant disposition. It was usually impossible to tell.

"If you're waiting for Dr. Haruno, she's in her office upstairs," the nurse supplied knowingly, a nervous smile.

"Aa." Then, after a pause. "Thank you."

The nurse nodded while avoiding his gaze, as if she had done or said something she shouldn't have, and scurried away from him. Sasuke didn't waste time thinking about it, but turned for the stairs, swift to take the steps to the third floor.

It was only once he reached the third floor landing that he remembered Gamakichi had said Naruto summoned him because of Sakura. Even if Naruto had been too absorbed in Hinata's well-being to mention Sasuke's presence in the waiting room, Sakura would still have known it was likely he'd been there.

Sasuke's steps were hesitant as he approached her office door. It felt strange, like an odd thought that didn't belong, to consider that Sakura didn't want to see him.

Behind the closed doors of her unlit office, he looked through the glass window, eyes drawn to the unmistakable flash of pink, flat and muted in the darkness. She sat at the edge of her sofa, elbows dug into her knees, her forehead slumped into the palms of both her hands. It was as if not an ounce of chakra was left in her still, sunken frame.

Sasuke thought he had seen her distraught, and thought he had seen when she was depleted of all energy and reserves; the sight of her now told him he'd been woefully wrong. Here, in the privacy of her office, she was unrecognizable from exhaustion.

Now even more so, he felt invasive; all of his instincts told him to turn, that she hadn't wanted to see him, hadn't wanted to be seen. Logic, though, reminded him that as a skilled kunoichi, she would already have heard and sensed his chakra nature. He couldn't turn back now.

Another moment and he was careful to open the door, silent as he stepped into her office. With the flood of light from the hall, he noticed the sofa was at an awkward angle, with deep dents in the cushions, as if someone had placed two hands and snapped each section in half. He thought of her seated, gripping the edges and doing it by accident. In the back of his mind, Sasuke remembered the fourth or fifth time he'd noticed she changed the furniture in her office and made an ancillary comment, assuming she was the kind of woman who found frequent redecorating fun. But "fun" had nothing to do with it.

Her hands were always gentle with him, so gifted to heal with others; but here, in her own space, in moments alone, uncontrollably destructive. It wasn't something he'd thought about before, and it bothered him, churned up something unfamiliar in his gut.

"Oh," she sighed, admonished herself, as if she'd been rude to a guest. "Hinata and the baby are alright, did they tell you?"

When she lifted her face from her the palms of her hands, her eyes warm and searching, tone gentle and assuring, it was suddenly the Sakura he knew, abrupt in her return to a normal state of being. But he saw it like an ANBU soldier putting on the mask, sliding it over their real face, taking on a responsibility that superseded their personal self. This Sakura, attentive to his concerns and needs, taking care that everything and everyone was alright, was the mask. What was underneath it was the sight he'd seen a moment before, when she wanted to be alone, when he wasn't with her.

"Aa."

Distracted at this realization, at this new, different side of her, he said nothing else.

"It's a rare disorder," Sakura murmured, leaning back onto the broken sofa. "High blood pressure and seizures that start after the first trimester. Now that she's being monitored, and if she remains on bed rest, she should be alright until full-term. I'll probably need to do an early C-section if the baby is at risk, but if I can get her through another ten weeks without any severe episodes, the baby will be alright, too."

For the first time, Sasuke didn't take her healing capabilities for granted. Her exhaustion, the weight of her words now; she bore the responsibility of keeping her best friend's wife and child alive. How heavy was the burden that death would only be stopped through her intervention? These interventions weren't a given; they were her blood, sweat, chakra, and tears that she used to _make _sure someone lived.

He wondered how often she struggled to beat back Death as it fought savagely to steal her patients out from her still working hands. Whether she was able to win, or inevitably lost, what did she do afterwards - alone in the sort of reality most people went their whole lives experiencing only a handful of times, that she experienced almost daily? That there is but a thin, threadbare line in the human body and soul, the line between when a person is here, and then suddenly, when they are gone. Permanently.

Why, of all things, of all specialties, of all professions, had she chosen this life? She once told him her work at the hospital felt as though it were meant to be, like her superior chakra control set her on this path. But was it an aptitude that drove her to medical ninjutsu, or need? When he'd left for Orichamaru, when Naruto left to train with Jiraiya, and she had been left alone in Konoha, did she know then how it would come to an end for him and Naruto, fighting each other to the death? Right before he had left Konoha the first time, she had been there on the roof of the hospital, almost caught between him and Naruto's lethal attack until Kakashi flung them apart.

It was that incident that occurred before he left to find Orichamaru. It was that incident that, somehow, in some way, alerted Sakura he might leave Konoha soon.

Sasuke knew his own answer to his own question. Whether it was a conscious decision or not, she'd gravitated toward medical ninjutsu, learning the skills that would be necessary to save him and Naruto for the inevitable event when their rooftop fight repeated itself, without Kakashi there to intervene, without the last of their internal reservations to keep them killing each other. And she had been right. When it came to the end, she was the only one who had been there to save them.

To save him.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?"

Her concerned words disrupted his thoughts. He had been looking at her, but through her, remembering when she'd been younger; back then, he sometimes thought of her as naive, or felt like she didn't understand. Now, he looked at her, and knew she always understood.

Sasuke walked toward her, slow and thoughtful in his steps. He took the seat on the ground beside her legs, rested his back on the damaged sofa, and looked ahead.

"You called me to come for Naruto."

Sakura hummed softly. "I couldn't be there for him and Hinata at the same time. I couldn't stand to leave him like that, though."

He meant she called him to be there for Naruto, not for her. But he didn't know how to point this out to her, didn't think it would be fair to do it, either. So, Sasuke said nothing, and not for the first time, wished his mother were alive.

"He blames himself," Sasuke told her.

"Nonsense," Sakura scoffed. "There's no way he could have known, even I couldn't have known. It's a disorder that presents after the first trimester, it didn't show up in any of the preliminary work-ups, in any of her medical history; you know, I even checked her family history thoroughly, she is the heir, they have that well-recorded, and there was no indication."

After another huff, she added. "I couldn't have known. He couldn't have known. It isn't his fault."

Sasuke let his shoulder rest against the outside of her thigh. "It isn't yours either, Sakura."

She sucked in a breath, as if his words insulted her. "I know, but…"

"You said there was no way to know."

"I know," she murmured, reluctant.

Her hands fell to touch him, comforted at the feel of his pulse in his neck, in running her fingers through the long strands of his dark hair.

The near-death experience of his best friend's wife, seeing Naruto out of control in despair, and finding her, alone in a realm of grief he'd never been meant to see, Sasuke should have felt something, too. He didn't know what exactly, but he knew, if he'd been normal, he'd feel something, too.

But he felt numb. The sort of emptiness that had taken up residence inside of him before, blocking out any pain or fear. It would surface later; in an irritable mood with someone who didn't deserve his sharp tongue, wrath in disguise at the order of a mission, or in the pounding of adrenaline as he raced outside of Konoha's gates, running as far away as he could. In one way another, it would surface later. It always did.

.

.

It was official. First, he turned the resignation letter into Tenzo, the Konoha Police Captain. Next, he submitted a notice of resignation to Kakashi, Hokage of the Hidden Leaf. Though it was something he'd spent considerable time thinking through, and even discussed at length with both Naruto and Sakura, it felt uncomfortable and surreal. It was like attempting to put on a sweater that was just a little too tight, too short; it seemed to fit, but didn't fit right. After he returned from his post-probation traveling, it was the start-up of the police force that had anchored him, given him direction and a clear objective for being back in Konoha. Now, though, there was nothing but a blank canvas in the new path before him.

Without intention, recent memories of winding his fingers through pastel pink hair, holding onto the full weight of her, the feel of her hot, bare skin, and sharing their meals, their evenings, their thoughts on the day, as if these things no longer existed for just one person to do, but for the two of them. And older memories; her patience with his pitiful attitude during physical therapy, being overwhelmed, even awe-struck, at her strength the first time they sparred as adults, and the countless times she smiled unreasonably wide simply at the sight of his arrival to a meeting, a team dinner, a visit to the hospital.

It wasn't the police force that anchored him in his return to Konoha, he corrected himself. It had always been Sakura. The path before him might be entirely foreign and new, but she was still the same, steadfast support.

Was it fair to leave her, though? He knew it would not be easy for her, no matter how selfless she would strive to be. As much as he could not imagine taking up permanent residence in Konoha, he could not justify expecting her to tolerate if he came and went, leaving Konoha for diplomatic missions several months a time.

Worse, though, was the selfish realization that she might be completely fine without him. Their first week together had shown him she didn't require for him to be there in the moments she should have needed him the most. And if this were true, there was only one person to blame for it, and it was not her.

At the conclusion of his meeting with Kakashi, his self-loathing boiled past a point even he could not contain. As usual, his old sensei seemed acutely aware of the calm before the storm, and was not afraid to acknowledge it.

"What's your hesitation, Sasuke?"

But Sasuke didn't answer him; instead, with the door opened by Kakashi, he entered with his own agitated question. "What did she do when we were gone?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what did she do," Sasuke all but rolled his eyes, frustrated by his own inadequacies on more than one account. "Without a team, without her family, what did she do?"

"Oh," Kakashi said, understanding. "Well, I admit, I don't think I was fully prepared to be Team Seven's sensei, and I certainly wasn't prepared to be Sakura's only remaining teammate. I tried, but… Well, there's a reason she sought Tsunade-sama instead."

Sasuke said nothing, no less frustrated, as he stared out the Hokage's office window that overlooked the village.

"What's on your mind, Sasuke?"

Kakashi might have been one of the few people who would bother to ask, let alone get by in asking it.

"She… she doesn't need us," Sasuke said, his best attempt at putting his recent thoughts into some semblance of order.

Both Kakashi's brows lifted to the ceiling, but Sasuke wasn't paying attention to notice it. Carefully, Kakashi asked, "What makes you say that?"

"She handles things, on her own," Sasuke said, as if he wanted to be angry, but even so, respected it. "She coddles Naruto, appeases Sai, encourages you, and …"

_And believes in me_, though Sasuke couldn't seem to say it aloud, even to Kakashi.

"She takes care of us," Kakashi concluded for him.

"Hn." Then, this time open with his anger, "But she doesn't need us to take care of her. She takes care of herself."

Kakashi was quiet for a while. Then, answering Sasuke's original question, he said, "She did what we all did. She trained, and trained harder. She focused on becoming a strong shinobi, and nothing else. Whatever she needed from you and Naruto when you were genin, she learned to forfeit it or to take care of it herself. That's not necessarily a bad thing, Sasuke. I think it's a lesson all of us are forced to learn eventually."

The answer didn't seem to appease Sasuke in the slightest, but Kakashi knew that it wouldn't. He put a hand over Sasuke's shoulder, a brief but encouraging touch, and then put both hands into his pocket.

"It's for the better if she doesn't need us," Kakashi said. "All we can do is make sure that if she wants us, we're there for her."

Sasuke knew what his mentor, the closest man he had to a father, really meant. All Sasuke could do was ensure she knew if she wanted him, he would be there for her. Had he made that clear?

.

.

While Sasuke showered in her bathroom down the hall, Sakura hurriedly attempted to finish reading an important report from her team's recent program evaluations. For the second time, therapy results appeared to be successful, instead of stagnant. She didn't hear the water stop running, didn't notice Sasuke's walk down the hall, until she felt his looming frame stand behind her.

"Hey babe, one more minute," she murmured, so concentrated on the text in front of her that Sasuke didn't think she realized her use of the pet name aloud.

Deciding to take her promise of sixty seconds seriously, he remained behind her, familiar now in his hold across her abdomen, the rose-and-vetiver scent of her freshly washed hair oddly reassuring as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

It was probably closer to the three minute mark when she lifted her head, fingers relinquishing the pages that she held, but he didn't mind. Belatedly, her mind recalled their most recent encounter.

"D-did I just call you babe?" She whispered, half in horror.

"Aa."

From the corner of her eyes, she could see his lips lifted into a smirk, and she relaxed. "And… and you didn't hate it?"

He shook his head once, his chin gentle as it slid across her shoulder, and she relaxed into a smile.

"Alright, babe," she said, testing it out, leaning further into him so she could feel his hold over her frame. "How was your day?"

Leaning back with her neck exposed to him, she looked up to see him fully, adoration and sincerity so abundantly clear on her face; it dissolved the last of his reservations.

"You know that I'm here now?"

"Yes?" She raised a brow, tucked her arms across herself to hold his arm and pull him closer. "I know that."

But his onyx-and-violet orbs were piercing, their intensity telling her that she hadn't understood him right.

"You weren't going to tell me about the nomination."

"Oh," she flushed. "Well, I would have, I think, eventually…"

"You hid in your office after Hinata's surgery."

She blinked, opened her mouth to offer an explanation, and then closed it again. It wasn't isolated incidents he was bringing up to her, it was a pattern. The pattern of excluding him from the things going on with her.

Sakura didn't offer a swift rebuttal this time. She spent a moment considering not only what he said, but that he felt compelled to call it to her attention. While she hadn't recognized the barrier that she had constructed for herself, a bottle to store all of her emotions in and away from him, as if they might bother or annoy him, she noticed it now.

Hearing his gentle observations, feeling the strength in his current hold, and understanding that he was not only giving her permission to share, but even wanted her to – it brought the barrier down with one, fell swoop. All of a sudden, that bottle of those emotions uncorked, too.

"Sometimes I feel like a machine when I'm at the hospital, I don't feel anything at all," Sakura admitted, swallowing her nerves. "But sometimes I _feel_ all of it. And I have nowhere to put it. I try to sit with it, to accept it, until it passes. Sometimes that works, but sometimes… sometimes it's too much."

Then, thinking of the most recent event with Hinata and her baby so close to death, with nothing but her own healing chakra and pure, stubborn willpower left to save them. Though she'd kept herself together long enough to succeed in the emergency surgery, afterwards it felt like all of her had come undone.

"Sometimes I'm so afraid, I can't move," she said quietly. "That if I move, I'll lose it, and I won't be able to get myself back together again."

Sasuke looked at her, a sort of open fragility he hadn't seen from her in many years, the kind she'd been hiding. This was the Sakura underneath the mask.

There were no cheap words to offer, no false assurances; but he listened, shifted his arm to hold the arm she'd wrapped around his, and kissed the corner of her lips. Even more than before, she let go of her tight posture, and relaxed completely into him.

Sasuke kissed her again, his lips firm to her temple, as if through it she could know, _I'll be here to pull you back together again. _

For a moment she let herself be comforted by him; the opposite of feeling as if she'd fall apart was how it felt now, wrapped under his arm and pressed against him, solid and secure.

"I didn't realize I was doing it," she murmured, a soft frown. "It isn't that I didn't want you involved, it's just… well, I suppose I'm still more used to being on my own, you know?"

It wasn't accusatory, and he didn't feel defensive; if there was anyone who understood the ease and familiarity of being alone, it was him.

He'd had more time to think about it after his meeting with Kakashi, though. While he knew it was true, that every man and woman, shinobi and civilian, had to come to terms with themselves in solitude, it did not mean one had to come to terms with being alone.

"When I first left Konoha you told me that if I went, even if you had others around you, it would be the same as if you were alone."

Sakura chewed her lip; somewhat embarrassed at the cries of a twelve-year-old girl, but also made aware that her words, at the time a desperate plea to get him to stay, had been prophetic, too.

Eventually, she hummed a noncommittal response, focused on this newer realization. Though she spent half her time helping children with their own coping mechanisms for grief and loss, she hadn't considered the full depth of how she'd coped with the loss of Sasuke. Even knowing how much he cared for, even after she forgave him, it was natural defense mechanism to keep him at a distance, not to invite him closer. Sakura closed her eyes as she leaned against him, focusing on his warmth, on the gentle sound of his pulse, his heartbeat. It wasn't a necessary mechanism anymore, though.

"I was alone," she admitted at last. "I don't know why, or how – maybe I'll never understand it – but I've always loved you, and I always will. Maybe those were the desperate cries of a little girl who didn't understand half of what she meant, but she wasn't wrong, either.

"I missed you every day, and every night. There wasn't a single day that felt ordinary or complete without you. I _was _alone when you left."

Though it had been no secret her affections remained both times he left Konoha, it was not something she had shared to him vocally in their last few years together. Now, she opened her eyes, honest and vulnerable.

"If we weren't together now, I'd still be alone," she said, quieter.

He understood now she wasn't talking about physical distance, maybe she never had been. She was talking about the sort of loneliness a heart aches from, the soul mourns during.

Sasuke lifted his arm from her waist. It continued to amaze her, how gentle and soft he could be; it was such a startling contrast than his sparring or jutsu. He took the loose strands of pastel hair that fell before her eyes and carefully tucked them behind her ear, the back of his fingers remaining along her cheek for a moment. Then he turned his hand, holding the base of her neck as she lifted herself back to view him better.

Earlier his words had been a reminder to her, but now he repeated them, a promise. "I'm here now."

This time, Sakura understood. He was telling her she didn't need to be alone anymore.

Sakura reached for him too, trailing her fingers from his temple to the length of his jawbone. He felt very real to her then, like she had introduced a new part of herself to him, but he'd already known her the whole time.

"I know," she finally said, confident. "You said you always would be."

_That _particular promise was made during a moment neither of them could forget anytime soon.

"Aa," he whispered, and no longer able to refrain, kissed her amidst his next words. "I meant it."


End file.
